


Just Like We’d Always Planned

by AvatarAbby



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Anger Management, Angst, Anniversary, Apologies, Cuddles, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Forgiveness, Game Night, Haircuts, M/M, Meditation, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Protectiveness, Season 5 Spoilers, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:47:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 117
Words: 87,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarAbby/pseuds/AvatarAbby
Summary: A collection of one-shots featuring Catra and Adora in their new life together.
Relationships: Adora & Bow (She-Ra), Adora & Scorpia (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow & George & Lance (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra), George/Lance (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 814
Kudos: 1224





	1. New Purposes In Our New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has conflicting feelings about the war ending, and talks about it with Adora.

Catra didn’t know what was happening to herself. Everything ended the way it was supposed to. Horde Prime was gone, Scorpia had forgiven her, she was finally with Adora. Everything was perfect.  
So why did she still feel like everything was falling apart?  
“Catra!” Adora shouted, entering their bedroom. “There you are! Come on, we’re gonna be late for breakfast with Bow and Glimmer!”  
“You go on without me,” the short-haired girl said, pulling her legs to her chest. “I’m not feeling well.”  
The blonde rushed over and sat beside her on the bed. “What’s wrong? Are you sick? You don’t feel warm.”  
“I just don’t feel well, okay!”  
“You can talk to me, Catra. If this thing between us is going to work, we have to be honest with each other.” The part-feline felt a hand on her shoulder. “Please.”  
“And what if what I have to say makes you hate me?”  
“That’s not going to happen. And I think you’ll feel better talking out whatever you’re going through.”  
Catra considered this for a moment. She was so used to having her walls up, not letting anyone in or see her emotions. But Adora was right, they had to be honest with each other. And her emotions weren’t just going to vanish into thin air.  
So, she sat up and took her girlfriend’s hands in hers. “This past month with you has been the best time of my life. I never thought I would get to be with you after you left the Horde, and I definitely never imagined that I’d be living in Brightmoon with so many friends. It’s a better life than I could’ve ever dreamed of.”  
“But,” the embodiment of She-ra prodded.  
“But, in spite of all this happiness I feel, I also feel so lost. My whole life, I always had a purpose. I was a horde soldier- no matter what else was going on, I had that constant. And then I switched sides and I had a new purpose- to end Horde Prime’s reign. And we did that! So why don’t I feel closure? I thought being on the winning side of a war would make me happy, but all I can think of is the pain that happened during that time and how I have no idea what’s going to happen next.”  
“Oh, Catra.”  
“What’s wrong with me? I’m with the person I love and I know she loves me back! I helped bring peace to the entire universe! Why can’t I just accept that life is good!”  
“Catra, it’s okay to not find everything that we have in this new life fulfilling. I feel like that sometimes too. For years I was training to bring glory to the Horde and for years after that I was training to be the best She-ra I could be.”  
“It’s not the same. You are still She-ra.”  
“But people don’t need me to be She-ra, not like they used to. And that’s a good thing. That doesn’t mean I’m not sad about my role ending though.”  
The former Horde commander looked up into her lover’s eyes. “So what do we do now?”  
Adora stood up, reaching out her hand. “The only thing we can do. We take it day by day, finding new purposes in our new life.”  
“Okay,” Catra said, accepting her help up, “together.”  
“Just like we’d always planned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I watched the final season of She-ra today and while I couldn’t ask for a better ending, I also felt really sad and anxious at the fact that it was all over. So, I channeled those feelings into the show’s characters and o gotta say, it did make me feel better. And I figured, why not use this as a way to start a collection of stories, to keep She-ra alive, at least in my heart.


	2. Only For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people of Etheria want to dedicate at statue to Shadow Weaver, and it’s clear to see that the young couple is...not happy.
> 
> *Mention of Past Abuse*

“I can’t believe this!”  
“It’s a sweet gesture, Catra.”  
“Baking a pie would be a sweet gesture,” the part feline reasoned. “Making a statue of you would be a sweet gesture. Making one of Shadow Weaver? That’s lunacy!”  
“The people of Etheria didn’t know her the way you and I did,” Adora said as she sat on the bed next to her girlfriend. “All they really know is she helped save the universe.”  
“A lot of people helped save the universe. They aren’t getting a statue. Just the women who tortured us our entire lives.”  
The blonde women stood up, saying “come on let’s go to the roof.”  
The two of them climbed up to the top of the castle and sat on the edge. From there, they could see the Whispering Woods and beyond that, the glimpses of some of the other kingdoms. The view truly was spectacular, but it did nothing to brighten the mood.  
It was Catra who broke the silence first.   
“Where are they going to put it?”  
Her companion looked down. “I’m not sure. A few proposals have been made, but none of the princesses seem to want to host it in their kingdom.”  
“Gee, I wonder why.”  
“I could make them stop it, you know. They kinda have to listen to me, considering I’m their ‘beacon of hope’ and all.”  
“No. I don’t need my superhero girlfriend coming in to fix all my problems.”   
Adora didn’t want to push. Shadow Weaver was still a touchy subject between them, probably always would be. But it hurt for her to see the one she loved in pain, and she wanted to get to the root of the problem.  
“Also, it’s not really about the statue, is it?”  
Catra looked up to the horizon line, where the sun was just beginning to set in the west. “Do you know what the last thing she said to me was? ‘You’re welcome.’ As if she was the one who set everything up and brought us together, when in reality she was the one pushing us apart. She does one slightly good thing in her whole life and she takes all the credit.”  
“You know that’s not how any of us feel. If it weren’t for you coming to my rescue at the Heart, none of us would be here.”  
“I’ll never forgive her for what she did to you. Not in the Fright Zone, not with the failsafe.”  
“Catra, no one else was going to make it if they carried the off switch.”  
“She still should’ve done it herself! She knew how much you wanted to help everyone, how you felt you needed some big destiny. She took advantage of that, just like she took advantage of the fact that I wanted someone to love me. She showed me some affection for the first time and just when I thought things could be different, I find out she manipulated me into helping her escape.”  
The young girl ran her fingers through her short hair in frustration. It wasn’t fair that Shadow Weaver got the last word and that she left her to clean up the mess that resulted from their relationship. Even though the older women had died, it still felt like she won.  
“At the end she said that she was proud of me. I had waited forever to her to say those words to me. And once she said them....”  
“It wasn’t enough.”  
A sad chuckle came from her mouth. “How naive was I to think that a handful of words could fix everything?”  
Adora turned her girlfriend’s head to make sure that her eyes were focused on her. “Catra, anything wrong in that relationship was not your fault. She was the adult, the one who’s literal job was to look out for you. Her abuse is on her, and I hope it haunts her in her grave.”  
“Wow, Adora. I didn’t realize you had such a vindictive side.”  
“Oh, you bet I do. I was already planning to anonymously vandalize the statue if it ever went up. Or ‘accidentally’ destroy it in a fight.”  
Catra sized her partner up. “This is kinda hot. My girlfriend’s secretly a bad girl, planning on destroying public property and all that.”  
Adora put her forehead next to Catra and stared lovingly into her eyes. “Only for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this show so much! Thanks for reading!


	3. Loss Is Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora go to see the newly built statue and grieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that the last chapter would be a complete stand alone, but as I went about my day, the more I realized I wanted there to be a concrete ending to this. So here we are! Thanks for reading!

“What do you think of it?”  
Catra was speechless for a moment, taking in the sight of the statue.  
“I can’t believe you had them change the design for the it.”  
“It was because of what you said,” Adora replied, “when you told me that plenty of people fought to save the universe, and they weren’t getting a statue. So I thought, maybe we could give them one.”  
“That you did.”   
It was in a perfect location, in between the line that divided the former Fright Zone from the rebellion. Staring out into the horizon was a She-ra made of stone. Only it didn’t look like Adora’s She-ra, nor matched the description of what Mara looked like. In fact, it didn’t really look like anyone in particular. The build of their was in a way it could be seen as masculine or feminine or neither. The hair was a pretty neutral cut as well, and the warrior was wearing pants, no skirt. The face was blank. They were on a square pedestal with names on three sides, and one the final side was an engraving of the sword of protection with four words carved in- go, be at peace.  
“The names are everyone who died during the war, both Rebellion and Horde. I guess I wanted everyone to know that there was a little She-ra in them all.”  
Catra eyes began to water. “Sh-Shadow Weaver?”  
“She’s on here somewhere.”  
“Help me find her?”  
The blonde nodded and took her girlfriend’s hand. Together they walked the along the base of the monument.  
And then they found it.  
Shadow Weaver (Light Spinner)  
Before she could even try to stop herself, the part-feline fell on her knees and started sobbing. Almost immediately, she was joined by Adora.  
“I hated her! She used me and drove us apart! So why do I still miss her?”  
“Because loss is complicated,” the heroine replied, tears streaming down her face too. “She had so much anger and pain in her, yet she was still one of the closest things we had to family in the Horde.  
“It’s okay to miss her, I do too. She was a part of our story for so long.”  
The couple remained there for a long time after, holding each other as the tears streamed down their faces.   
“It’s getting dark,” the blonde started. “Are you ready to go?”  
Catra gave a small nod, and the pair rose up, feeling a weight had been lifted from off of their shoulders.


	4. Who You Are Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra does a guided meditation with Perfuma and works through some of her anger.

Catra really didn’t want to do this.  
When Scorpia asked her to go to Perfuma for a guided meditation session, she was annoyed at the suggestion. The princess of Plumeria was much too optimistic, too naive in her opinion. The former Horde commander didn’t see any benefit in doing this. But she had to admit her friend had made a strong case when it came to helping Catra work on her anger issues, and there were plenty of times when the other women did things for her she definitely didn’t want to do.   
And that was why the part feline currently was in the flower girl’s home and had a crown of roses on her head.  
“Do I really have to wear this?”  
Perfuma giggled, “flowers provide a relaxing scent that helps one completely become a part of the session.”  
That sounded like hippie nonsense to her. But in all fairness, this whole thing sounded like hippie nonsense to her.  
The princess sat down right across from her and said, “now, mirror my stance.”  
The other women did so and waited.  
“We are going to begin. First, tell me what you see in this room.”  
Catra lifted her eyebrow, “shouldn’t I be closing my eyes or something?”  
“That part comes later. In order for your mind to be ready for that stage, you have to be calm and clear. Now, stop asking questions and tell me what you see.”  
“Um, okay. I see you in a pink dress. I see the mats were sitting on. I see a bunch of things that look like wind chimes dangling from the ceiling.”  
“Good, now what do you hear?”   
This patterned continued until the two women had gone through all the five senses. While the short-haired girl had no idea how this would help her with her repressed anger, she did secretly feel more present in the space.  
“Now comes the hard part,” the blonde warned. “Close your eyes and take deep, calming breathes.  
“Well done. I want you to focus on the anger you have inside, the things you feel hold you back. Don’t feel the need to say them out loud, but keep them in your mind’s eye.”  
Many images appear to Catra. Shadow Weaver’s abuse and her sudden death. Horde Prime chipping her and almost killing Adora. Adora leaving her to become She-ra. The way she treated the people closest to her.  
Noticing that the participant was clenching her fists, Perfuma said, “do not feel ashamed for having these emotions. Anger and guilt are natural feelings, and you have a right to be unhappy at circumstances or the actions of people, both others and yourself.   
“If you block out your anger, you will never deal with it. That rage you have will not go away, just eat away at you.”  
The idea of these thoughts staying with her any longer forced the woman to speak. “So how do I move past it?”  
“It all starts with acknowledging the emotion. Admit to yourself that you are furious, that you feel betrayed and wronged, and tell yourself it’s okay to feel that way. Becoming a better person doesn’t mean you can’t have a reaction to what life throws at you.”  
The part feline took a few more deep breathes, than did as she instructed. Suddenly, she felt more at peace with herself. All this time she thought she was acknowledging her anger, but in reality, she was just letting it control her. Before today, she didn’t think there was a difference.  
“Next, you have to let it go.”  
“Sounds easy in theory but hard in practice.”  
“I’m not saying you will never feel angry at the past. But the more you tell yourself to leave it there, the less it will affect the present and future. What happened back then happened. There is no going back. Reliving mistakes and wrong doings won’t change that. Resolve what you can and let the rest go.”  
Catra made an honest effort, but the more she tried to be free of her emotions, the more they grabbed onto her.  
“I can’t do it. It’s too much.”  
“Try focusing on one trigger at a time rather then dealing with them all at once.”  
Figuring Shadow Weaver was the main one, the former Horde commander focused I on her. As much as talking to Adora about their former guardian helped, she still couldn’t quite envy her girlfriend for being her favorite. Logically, she knew that they both experienced abuse from the woman, but her mind still felt all the neglect she received growing up was a way of the universe telling her Adora was special while she was worthless.  
But no, that wasn’t true. She helped save the universe, she became a better friend. Maybe Shadow Weaver never found anything of much worth in her. However, Adora and Scorpia and all her other friends did. Catra herself found it too. She was strong and clever and so many other things. And it wasn’t worth the energy it took to worry over what Shadow Weaver thought about her.  
One by one, Catra went through her emotions until they were all but gone.  
All except the anger she felt towards herself. She had hurt so many people in so many ways, Adora mostly. She had been manipulative and cruel and so many other horrible things.   
“I can’t not be angry at myself, Perfuma. No matter what I do, it’s never going to make up for all the bad things I did.”  
“And that’s the problem. You see who you are now as a do-over, a way to clear the slate. That’s not how it works. No one in the rebellion forgot what you did in the past, we’ve chosen to move on from it because of what you do now. You need to do the same. You can’t forget who you used to be without forgetting who you’ve become, because the choices you made led you to where you are now.”  
She hated to admit the flower girl was making sense, but she was. Leading the Horde got her to where she is now, but it’s not the reason she is here. She joined the rebellion to stop Prime and help Adora, not to erase past mistakes.  
She had genuinely changed, and that maybe, just maybe, that was enough to let go of the rage she felt at who she was before.  
After about another half an hour, the two wrapped up the session.  
“Perfuma?”  
The princess looked up expectantly.  
“Thanks, I think this really helped.”  
“I’m glad. See you next session.”  
Just this morning, those words would’ve made the woman’s skin crawl. But now, after realizing how much it helped, a few more of these sounded like just what she needed.  
“Yeah, see you next session.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. This was a combination or research and my own experiences with guided meditation, so it may not look like this for everyone, but it was interesting to write something about an experience this deep.


	5. All The More Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra gets her hair cut.

“Are you sure you want the do this?”  
Catra looked at her girlfriend, confused. “I thought you liked my short hair.”  
“I did,” replied Adora, “but I know you didn’t.”  
The part feline looked down. “I didn’t like it because it wasn’t my choice. Horde Prime cut it off as a way to purify me into his clone army. But this time, this time I’m cutting it because it’s what I want to do.”  
Over the past year since the end of the war, she had let her hair grow out to the point where it was at her shoulders. The former Horde leader gave no indication that she was planning to cut it until about a week ago, when she had asked Glimmer if she would help her do it.  
“Okay,” the queen said, holding the scissors in her hand. “You ready for me to start?”  
“Have at it, Sparkles.”   
It took quite a bit of time, but eventually the process seemed to be completed.   
“Well Adora, how do I look?”  
The hairstyle was similar to the one she originally had on Horde Prime’s ship, if not having a more natural look to it. The blonde couldn’t deny that short hair suited her partner, she had liked it the first time around. But there was something different about in this experience. Catra seemed more confident in the look, more excited about the change.  
It only made her look all the more beautiful.   
“You look breathtaking,” she answered.  
The young woman blushed in response, giving her a look of pure joy and love.  
“That’s it,” the sorceress intervened, grabbing her supplies off the vanity. “I’m leaving before you two get all mushy.”  
The two held each other in their arms as she left, as close as they could be.   
“So, are you happy with your hair?”  
“You know, I really am.”  
“Good.”  
The couple swayed to an imaginary rhythm, enjoying the company of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved Catra’s hair in season 5, but I did also not like the fact that it wasn’t her choice to do it. So I thought, why not let her choose it now? It’s super short, but sometimes that’s the best way to do it. Hope you enjoyed, thanks as always for reading.


	6. A Part Of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra gets sick and Adora hates it.

“Please just let me heal you Catra.”  
The part feline sat up in bed and gave her girlfriend a glare. “For the last time, Adora, I need you to calm down. I want my immune system to fight this on it’s own. We have no idea what’s out there on the planets we will be visiting next, and it would be good for my body to be as prepared as it can be.”  
“I just don’t like to see you suffer.”  
“I’m not suffering, I have a little cold.” As if to prove her point, the former leader of the Horde let out a chorus of sneezes.   
Adora smiled at the noise. Bow was right, she had one of the cutest sneezes in the entire universe.   
“Right now what I need to do is rest. I’ll be fine in a few days.”  
“I don’t want you to be fine in a few days, I want you to be fine now.”  
“Hey, I’m not loving this whole sick-in-bed lifestyle either, but that’s the way it is. Illness is a part of life.”  
But the blonde didn’t want that part of life. After everything her girlfriend had went through, all the emotional turmoil she had endured, she just wanted the best for her. For nothing but good things to come her way.  
She hated that she couldn’t make everything magically better like she wanted.  
“Fine, I’ll respect your wishes,” she conceded. “At least give me something to do for you so I don’t work myself into a frenzy.”  
“I’d never say no to you joining me in bed and cuddling.”  
“No way, I’ll get sick too.”  
“What, princess, are you scared of a little case of the sniffles?”  
Rolling her eyes, the embodiment of She-ra climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around her companion.   
Three days later, Adora gets sick as well and Glimmer has to take care of the two idiot lovebirds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Can’t believe this has 2k views, that just blows my mind. I appreciate all the support you guys have been sending!


	7. A Friend To Keep You Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra travels with Glimmer to another planet, leaving Adora and Melog together until she comes back.

Adora crossed her arms. “I still don’t like the idea of you going to be the planet Antean alone.”  
“I won’t be alone,” her girlfriend replied. “Sparkles will be with me. And it will be good for you to take some time where you aren’t saving worlds. I know how draining it is for you to reverse the effects of the First One’s technology. You did your part months ago when you restored magic to the place. Glimmer and I can take the diplomatic negotiations from here.”  
“Plus,” the queen chimed in, “I need you to stay in case anything happens while I’m away. I’ll feel much more at ease knowing you and Bow are here if anything goes wrong.”  
The blonde put Catra’s hand on her cheek lovingly. “I just hate that we are going to be apart. This will be the first time since we got together.”  
“I know, but it’s only for two weeks, and Melog will be here to keep you company. You promised me that you would lay off the missions for a while. I’m holding you to that.”  
The heroine was really starting to hate herself for promising that. When it was proposed to her, it seemed like a good idea. Stay at Brightmoon, be with the one she loved and her friends, not having a care in the world. But it was much harder in practice than in theory. She felt like she was betraying the universe by staying behind.  
“I guess you better get going.”  
“Yeah, I guess so. See you in two weeks. I love you.”  
“Love you too.”  
After a quick kiss goodbye and a sad meow from Melog, the young woman entered into the spaceship and left the planet’s atmosphere.  
“It’s really hard to say goodbye to them,” Bow commented, “even just for a little bit.”  
He watched as his friend stared at the ship, shrinking smaller and smaller the farther it went away.  
“It’s pretty much the hardest thing ever.”  
————————————————————  
The first night was the worst for Adora. She had gotten so used to being with someone in the same bed at her that now she was alone, she couldn’t even think about sleeping.  
It was different than how she felt when she had joined the rebellion. Back then it was mostly just the routine and the knowledge that there were other people around you that she missed. Now it was the complete lack of companionship she found needed at the end of the day. Now it was knowing she would have to be sleep like this for a while.   
Suddenly, the girl heard a thud coming from behind her bedroom door. At first she though she imagined it, but the noise continued, almost seeming to get faster and more desperate.  
The blonde rushed to the door with her knife in hand.   
Standing there, pawing at the door, was Melog. The creature looked up at the embodiment of She-at and let out a heartbreaking sound. Than, she turned her head in all directions, as if looking for someone.  
“I know, little buddy,” Adora said as she petted the being, “I miss her too.  
“Come on, you can sleep in the bed with me tonight.”  
Understanding what she was saying, the magical creature ran into the room and hopped onto the bed, nestling in the side where Catra usually slept.   
The young woman climbed back into bed and stroked the mane of her companion, until she was finally able to go to sleep.  
————————————————————  
It was easier for her and Bow not to miss their partners when they had things to do. Even boring meetings provided a much needed distraction from the fact that the ones they loved where planets away.   
“Are you sure there isn’t anything left to do?” Adora put her head in one hand as she stared at the palace garden. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing. It’s already driving me crazy.”  
The master archer sighed as he sat on the bench next to his friend. “We’ve already attended all of today’s meetings and prepared for the upcoming ones. We sparred for a long time and even came up with some ideas for the next time Brightmoon holds Princess Prom, which still isn’t for about another thirty years. I don’t think there’s anything left to do.”  
“That can’t be all there is. Maybe if we check in with the general-“  
“Adora,” the boy interrupted, “look.”  
The blue-eyed girl turned her head in the direction her friend was pointing and found herself face to face with a newly materialized Melog, who was carrying a stick in her mouth.  
“Hey there girl. You really startled me. What do you need?”  
The creature from Krytis dropped the stick and looked up at her expectantly.  
“I think she wants you to play fetch with her.”  
“Do magical beings really like to do that sort of thing?”  
Bow simply shrugged and gestured towards the stick, silently pointing out that the fact that she brought it was as good of an answer as they were going to get.  
Figuring there was no harm in trying, the girl threw the stick as far as she could. Like a tank at full throttle, Melog took off after the object, excitingly grasping it with her teeth.   
“I guess she likes it,” Adora mused.   
Within a few seconds, Catra’s loyal counterpart trotted over to her and repeated the process from before.   
“Okay, but this time I’m gonna make you work for it.” The blonde took off running, holding the stick as high into the air as she could.   
“Oh, toss it over here,” the son of Lance and Georges shouted.   
The two continued the pattern of throwing it back and forth, playing with magical refugee, who loved to jump up and catch the thing in midair.  
They happily stayed that way until the sun went down.  
————————————————————  
“I’m having a hard time integrating the Horde soldiers back into normal Etheria society,” Scorpia said to Adora as they sat together in former interrogation room. “I understand why it’s so difficult, all they’ve ever known is fighting and hating the princesses. I just wish I knew how to make the transition easier on them.”  
“You’re doing your best. That’s all any princess can do for their kingdom.”  
“Yeah, I guess so. And Perfuma has been great, holding weekly meditation sessions and helping me establish the place as my own.”  
“I’m so happy for you, Scorpia. You two seemed to have really found the perfect partner in each other.”  
The princess blushed. “Yeah, well, she’s really an amazing person. I feel so lucky to be with a girl like her.  
“Now how about you and Catra?”  
As if being summoned by the mention of the girl she imprinted on, Melog ran into the room and hopped up onto the couch, resting almost all of her body weight on Adora.  
“Melog! I told you that you can’t just keep jumping on me like that!”  
“Wait, she’s been doing that a lot?”  
“Oh yeah,” the first one confirmed. “Ever since Catra left, she’s been super clingy to me. She tries to curl herself up in my lap, somehow not grasping the concept this form is too big for her to do that. What’s most annoying is when she does it at the most inconvenient times, like when I’m in a meeting or napping or trying to eat.”  
“Do you miss her?”  
“A lot.” The heroine dragged her hand through the creature’s fur. “But she will be back in three days. I just have to wait a little longer.”  
“Well until then, it looks like you have a friend to keep you company.”  
Adora smiled as the being let out a loud pur. “That I do.”  
————————————————————  
“Hey Adora,” Catra said in a sultry voice at the doorframe of their bedroom.  
“Catra! You’re finally home.”   
Immediately, the blonde rushed over to her girlfriend and pulled her into a passionate kiss.   
“Wow,” the newly returned adventurer muttered. “I guess someone miss me.”  
“You have no idea.”  
“I think I have some. I missed you too.”  
“Come sit with me on the bed. I’m so excited to hear how the mission went.”  
After a few minutes of talking, Melog entered into the room and bursted with joy at the sight of the part-feline.  
“Hi there, sweetheart,” she said as she hugged the magical being. “Did you keep my Adora company while I was away?”  
Melog purred, happy that her family was reunited at last.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the real issue of Catra reclaiming her spot in the bed begins. Thanks for reading!


	8. A Step In The Right Direction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra apologizes to Scorpia and discusses where her intentions lie with Perfuma.

Catra still had no idea what she was going to say.  
She knew she needed to apologize to Scorpia. And not some quick exchange of pleasantries like they had had right after the Heart of Etheria. A genuine apology where she admitted to all the things she had done and how much it must’ve hurt the princess.  
She just didn’t think their were words that expressed how much regret she had.  
Resolved that she had to at least try, the part feline knocked on the door of Scorpia’s bedroom in Brightmoon.  
“Oh, hey wildcat. Come on in, I was just finishing up getting ready for the party.”  
She hesitantly stepped in, putting her hands in her pockets. “Yeah, Adora’s doing the same. I just thought I’d come and see if there’s anything I could do for you.”  
The former Horde leader mentally slapped herself. That was all she could say? ‘Anything I can do for you.’ Seriously?   
If the girl in the black dress noticed her anxiety, she didn’t say anything. “Nope, I’m all set. It’s kinda funny that we are wearing the same close we were to Princess Prom. You know, back when we wanted to destroy the rebellion.”  
“Yeah, it feel supers weird to now be going to a party celebrating two of those rebels anniversary.”  
Even though their wedding anniversary was really a few months ago, Spinerella and Netossa decided to have a party to make up for the fact that they couldn’t celebrate on the actual day. Catra was still getting to use to the endless displays of affection everyone here gave, but she had to admit, it was a sweet gesture.   
Deciding to cut to the chase, the short-haired girl took a deep breathe and opened her mouth. “Scorpia?”  
“Yes?”  
“I just want you to know how sorry I am. For everything.”  
“I already know that.”  
“I know you know, but I want you to actually here it from me. I should never have treated you the way I did, using you for my own ambition and then cutting you off whenever you wanted affection back. I should have never called you useless, or said you couldn’t sing, or threatened to send you to Beast Island. I never should’ve done a lot of things. I was so upset that my best friend left me that I ignored the other best friend who was standing right in front of me.”  
The former force captain just sat on their bed, saying nothing.  
“If I could take it all back, I would. I would do anything to not have hurt you the way I did. But I can’t change the pass. All I can do is work on the present, and in the present, I am truly sorry.  
“I would like us to become friends again, but you don’t have to say anything or forgive me. I can’t imagine how angry and upset with me you must be. And I deserve it. And it’s okay to not want to see me anymore.”  
The young women turned to leave, but just as she reached the door, she was pulled into a tight hug.  
“Ah, Scorpia. Even though I’ve changed my body is still capable of being easily crushed by you.”  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Scorpia said as she placed her friend down. “It was just so nice to hear. I had already forgiven you, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be friends again.”  
“Of course I do! You’re Scorpia, you lift everyone up and give great hugs. It’s just what you do. You’re amazing.”  
Heart eyes appeared on the princesses face and pulled the part feline into another hug, this time being more gentle.  
“Now,” Catra started, “are we gonna talk about what’s going on with you and Perfuma?”  
“What? Um, nothing’s going on.”  
“Are you kidding? You should’ve seen yourself when you reunited with her after you were dechipped. ‘Wow, Perfuma, you look great.’ Trust me, I have years of pining over a friend under my belt. I can sense when another soul is likewise afflicted.”  
The women put her claw on her hip and blushed. “Okay, maybe I do have a little crush on Perfuma.”  
“I knew it!”  
“But I don’t know what to do about it! I don’t want to confess and make her uncomfortable, but I also don’t want to keep these feelings bottled up inside. How did you and Adora get together?”  
“I confessed to her as she was dying underneath an ancient super weapon. Seemed like as good a time as any, so I went for it.”  
Scorpia pouted and sighed. “I don’t think I’ll get that lucky.”  
“Probably not. But hey, Adora and I will help you out. We’ll be like your wing couple.”  
“Wing couple? I don’t think that’s an actual thing.”  
“It is now. The two of us are going to make sure you get a dance with Perfuma tonight. As long as my girlfriend doesn’t try to act we will be fine.”  
The two put there arms around each other as they walked out of the room and into the hallway, discussing their plans for the night. Both knew in the back of their minds that rebuilding their friendship would be hard, there was still a lot of broken trust and the tension of harsh words once said. But they had made a step in the right direction. And that was as good as any place to start.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing major, just a small fic establishing that the two are beginning to have open conversations about the past. I wholeheartedly believe that Scorpia and Catra will have an amazing friendship now that, you know, Catra isn’t being a complete jackhammer.


	9. Never Going To Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer helps Adora plan a date night for her and Catra, despite the two being deeply annoying with their constant PDA.

Glimmer loved mornings in Brightmoon. The way the sun came in through the windows just right, the birds outside chirping away, the comfort of a nice, warm blanket enveloping her body as she woke up. It was days like those that the queen loved being at the palace.  
This was that one of those days.  
“Glimmer, open up! I need to talk to you it’s an emergency!”  
The noise of loud knocking startled the girl awake, and she ran to the door. Once she opened it, a worried Adora was impatiently waiting, fist raised to knock again.  
“Adora, what is it? Is the castle being attacked or something?”  
“You and Bow are dating, right?”  
The sorceress quickly turned irritated. “Yes, Bow and I are dating and, as we explained to you last week, even though it may change some things, it won’t change the bond the three of us have.”  
“How does that work?”  
“Huh?”  
“You know, dating. How do you guys do that?”  
Walking back towards her bed, the girl with multi-colored hair sighed. “Adora, it’s way too early for this. I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t wake me up anymore to have me to explain stuff. I do not want to relive the whole ‘what are leggings’ fiasco again. And, besides, aren’t you doing the exact same thing with Catra?”  
“No, we aren’t,” the blonde said as she walked over to her friend, frustrated. “Me and Catra are together. We laugh and say ‘I love you’ to each other and kiss-“  
“A little too much if you ask me.”  
“It’s not that bad.”  
“We literally had to have a meeting about it yesterday!”  
Adora sighed, “but we’ve never been on a date.  
“We both don’t have any meetings or events to be at tonight. So yesterday I started thinking that I could plan a nice activity for us to do together.”  
“Well, that’s sweet.”  
“And then it hit me this morning I have no idea how to plan a date. How do I plan a date! How do I ask her on a date! How do I do anything!”  
“Okay, you seriously need to calm down.”  
“I can’t calm down, I’m freaking out. I was starting to hyperventilate and I didn’t want to wake up Catra so I left and came to you.”  
Glimmer grabbed her friends shoulders tightly. “Listen to me! It’s going to be okay. I’m going to help you plan the perfect date.”  
“You are?”  
“Of course I am.”  
“Even though yesterday you asked someone to please put you out of your misery so you wouldn’t have to see us gush over each other?”  
“Well, you two are all over each other like two teens going through puberty. But yes, I will help you. I know you much you love her and how much she loves you. I’m glad you are able to be together now.”  
The first one blushed. “Me too.”  
“Now, what do you think the two of you would like to do tonight?”  
————————————————————  
“It looks like we’ve planned almost everything.”  
“Almost everything?” Adora tilted her head. “What is there left to decide?”  
“What are you going to wear?”  
“I was planning to wear my Princess Prom dress.”  
Glimmer blinked. “You mean the dress that you were wearing when you and Catra were still trying to kill each other?”  
“Yeah, but-“  
“The outfit you wore when she kidnapped me and Bow to the Fright Zone.”  
“I like the way the belt matches the sandals!”  
“Listen, Adora, don’t you think it’s time for a new outfit? You’ve had that one for years. She-ra got a look upgrade, maybe it’s time you did too.”  
“I like to stick with what I know. The Horde didn’t exactly have a class in fashion sense. I didn’t even pick out that dress, you did.”  
“I can pick out this one too. Catra’s also, if you want.”  
The heroine considered this for a moment. “Go ahead. But make sure it’s not a dress for Catra, she hates wearing dresses.”  
“Got it.”  
————————————————————  
Catra was resting in her room, petting Melog, when all of the sudden she heard a knocking at her door.  
Hoping it was Adora back for more kisses, she eagerly ran to the source of the noise.  
“Oh, hi Sparkles.”  
“Disappointed to see me,” the queen questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
“No, no. I’m always happy to see you. I was just wondering where Adora is. I haven’t really seen her all day.”  
“That’s actually why I’m here.” The queen held up a garment bag. “Put this on.”  
“What?”  
“Adora told me to tell you to get dressed into this outfit and meet her at the castle gates.”  
“Why didn’t she just tell me herself?”  
“Because she is waiting for you at the castle gates.”  
The women tentatively took the bag. “Whatever is in here isn’t hot pink, is it?”  
“Have fun,” Glimmer said as she walked away.  
————————————————————  
Adora adjusted her hair for the fifth time in the last minute. She had never it up in a bun before. She had also never worn formal clothes this short before, a midnight blue, one-shoulder party dress that cut her a few inches above the knee. Apparently remembering the comment she had made about her previous dress, Glimmer ensured the silver belt had matched her shoes.  
“Wow,” a familiar voice said behind her. “I’ve never seen you in blue.”  
The blonde turned around and her heart stopped for a second. Catra was wearing a jumpsuit with cape sleeves and the same blue color Adora was now sporting. She had a small, silver headband to tie into her partner’s accessories.  
“I could say the same thing about you. You look amazing. Glimmer really did a fantastic job.”  
“She picked this out?” The short-haired girl looked down and examined the clothing. “I got to admit, Sparkles does have good taste.  
“Now is someone going to explain to me what’s going on?”  
The current She-ra incarnation took a deep breath and grabbed her girlfriend’s hands. “I asked her to help me plan a date. For me and you.”  
At first the other woman looked surprised. But at a few seconds of realizing what was happening, the only emotion that could be determined from her face was pure joy. “And what are we doing on this date for me and you?”  
“Allow me to lead the way.” Freeing one of her hands, she guided them on a stone path that headed towards the Whispering Woods.   
Eventually she got to a spot where the leaves hung and gathered together like a curtain. She had her arm move them out of the way and pulled them past it.  
Behind was a cool, serene lake that reflected the sunset perfectly. A table for two had been set up right next to it, complete with candles and flowers, the food still steaming from being freshly cooked.  
“Adora, this is amazing.”  
“Isn’t it? This place apparently appeared after I healed the planet. Glimmer set it up while I was getting ready.”  
“And Bow,” the former Horde leader chimed in without taking her eyes off the view. “He’s hiding in the bushes right now.”  
“I was never here,” he whispered as he sprinted away.  
The couple giggled and sat down across from one another. The two laughed and talked as they enjoyed their meal, reveling in the fact that they were completely alone.  
After they finished, the blonde stood up and offered out her hand. “I know that there isn’t any music, but will you dance with me?”  
Catra happily took her partner’s hand put her free one of the other’s waist and pulling her close. They swayed together, foreheads touching a smiling the whole time.  
The girl in the dress whispered to her companion, “are you happy?”  
“Adora, I’m with you. That alone is reason enough to be happy.”  
The two leaned in and kissed.   
It was strange, even after having been able to do it for weeks now, the first one never got tired of kissing the women she loved. It wasn’t as desperate as it had been the first time underneath the heart, but it still felt like it was lighting the world on fire, lighting her world on fire. She wasn’t sure if it was her wanting to make up for lost time or it was due to the way she felt about Catra, but when they kissed, she never wanted it to stop.  
“I could stay here and do this all night,” she said.  
“Me too.”  
“I think Glimmer is hoping we will and this will get it out of our system. Probably why she helped me plan it.”  
“Well than she’s got another thing coming. Cause now that I get to kiss this beautiful face, I’m never going to stop.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I’ve never really written a whole lot of date fics, so I hope it turned out okay. It was fun to pick out the outfits.


	10. If You Want To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra meets Bow’s dads and is given a heartwarming proposition.

“I am still convinced this is a terrible idea.”  
“Come on, Catra,” Adora said as she finished stuffing her bag with clothing. “Lance and George are going to love you. Bow says they’re really excited to meet you.”  
“How can they be excited to spend the weekend with the person who threw their son off of a cliff?”  
“Only once.”  
“I don’t think they see it like that,” Catra said as she put her bag over her shoulder.   
The blonde grabbed her girlfriend’s hand. “I know that you are worried about how people will judge you for past mistakes. But Bow’s dads are the sweetest people on Etheria. A little quirky, but they have hearts of gold. It’s going to be okay.”  
“I hope so.”  
The two exited their room to find their companions standing in the hallway, waiting for them.  
“I’m so excited,” Bow shouted. “This is going to be the first time they see us since Glimmer and I got together. And the first time they meet Catra.”  
The queen had a big grin on her face. “Are you ready to teleport?”  
“Wait,” the part feline said, “no one said anything about teleporting.”  
“I mean, it was kinda obvious. How else would we get there?”  
Noticing that her partner was getting nervous, Adora stepped in and said, “I know where the library is. Why don’t the two of you go on ahead and we will take Swift Wind.”  
The sorceress shrugged, “suit yourself.” She then kissed her boyfriend on the cheek and the two disappeared.  
“Thanks for that. I hate teleportation.”  
“I know you do. And besides, this way you can spend some time getting to know Swift Wind.”  
As the two walked towards the main door, Catra started to worry that talking to him might not be such a good idea.  
She eventually found out she was wrong. Talking to him was a great idea.  
From the moment the hopped on his back, the magical horse recounted the funny stories he had of Adora, as well all the times she pined for her.  
“When she took naps she would keep saying your name, but not in an ‘I hate you’ way. More like a ‘the love of my life’ kind of way.”  
“Swift Wind,” the First One said as she held onto the steed’s mane. “Maybe we should just ride the rest of the way in silence.”  
“Come on, Adora. Me and Swift Wind are just getting to know each other better. You know, like you wanted.”  
“This is, in fact, not what I wanted.”  
“Hey, Catra, you wanna see something cool?” Suddenly, the flying horse did a big circle in the air. “Loop de loops!”  
The former Horde leader shrieked and instinctively held on tighter to the other rider, her tail bristling. Once they had done a complete rotation, she started to giggle. “That was actually pretty fun.”  
“There’s the library! Swifty, land is down there.”  
Once they were safely on the ground, the two took their supplies and started to walk towards the library doors.  
Glimmer teleported out to meet them. “You’re here!”  
“Yes Sparkles. We arrived at the place we said we would just half an hour ago. Surprise!”  
“Come on in, we are just about to sit down for lunch.”  
As they walked towards the dining room, the newcomer observed the aesthetic of the building. It had a lot of bright colors and seemed to have hundreds of books all neatly stacked together in just the first floor.   
“Wow,” she said, “they must’ve cleaned up pretty quickly after Horde Prime was destroyed.”  
“Yeah, Bow’s dads are very particular about their collection. They like to keep it as clean as possible.”  
Once they reached the room, Bow was already laughing, having a great time with his parents. Once he noticed that his friends had arrived, he got up from his chair and went over to them, saying, “Dads, you remember Adora. And this is her girlfriend and newest addition to the Best Friends Squad, Catra.”  
The two man went over to the girl smiled.  
“Hello Catra. I’m Lance and this is George. Your just in time for lunch. I hope you like sandwiches.”  
“Anything is better than the food they give you in the Horde,” the short-haired girl joked, immediately regretting it. She probably shouldn’t be talk about the evil army that almost killed them and everything they loved.   
But neither of them seemed to mind the comment. In fact, Lance actually showed interest in the topic.  
“That’s right, you and Adora met there. I’ve developed an interest in the way Horde society functioned. I’m curious, did they tell you anything about the First Ones?”  
“Not really. We weren’t really taught about Etheria, just that we were perfecting it by getting rid of the princesses.”  
“And did you have universal healthcare?”  
“If by healthcare you mean teaching you to push past your injuries and never show fear, than yeah, if was pretty much universal.”  
“Lance,” George interrupted, “stop pestering the poor girl. She probably doesn’t want to talk about that part of her life.”  
“No, it’s okay. It’s the deeply personal questions that I don’t want to talk about. I don’t mind sharing basic information.”  
“You see, George. She doesn’t mind.”  
“But can I make a request of you guys?”  
The two of them looked at each other, uncertain. “What is it?”  
“I was told that you have picture of Bow in the bath as a child. I would like to see them.”  
Bow spit out his drink, saying in a high pitched voice, “uh, we really don’t have to do that.”  
Adora shouted, “I want to see the bubble baths!”  
“Me too,” Glimmer chimed in.  
Lance and George’s faces lit up and they went to go search for their son’s baby book.  
“Thanks a lot, Catra.”  
“Hey, you got to give the people what they want, arrow boy.”  
The men returned a shirt while later, each holding stacks on family albums in their arms. For about an hour after that, the group looked at photos from when Bow was younger, passing them around and laughing at the stories that were told along with them.  
“I can’t believe your the youngest of thirteen,” the part feline said.  
“Well, I don’t see them much, since a lot of them are now in space gathering information about the other planets in our galaxy.”  
“Must’ve been a really loud house, growing up.”  
“Yeah, it could be.”  
“Okay, everyone,” George said as he stood up. “how about you all go out to the living room and I’ll bring out some tea. Catra, would you mind helping me?”  
The girl tensed at the mention of her name, but she still agreed to join him in the kitchen. Her girlfriend gave her hand a squeeze as she left to follow Glimmer and Bow.  
When she stepped into the room, the historian was already pouring the beverages into cups. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her sincerely.   
“Listen, I just want to say-“  
“I’m sorry I pushed your son off of a cliff!”  
A look of surprise appeared on the man’s face. “Huh?”  
The girl’s face went flat. “You didn’t want to talk to me about that time I dragged your son with me off a cliff?”  
“Um, no, I actually had forgotten that had happened. I wanted to thank you.”  
Now Catra was just plain confused. “Thank me?”  
“For helping save the universe, yes. But also for being there for Adora.  
“I know we aren’t her family, not really. We didn’t raise her or even meet her until her late teens. But we still consider her part of our family because she is part of Bow’s family. And you should’ve seen her when she messaged us a few days ago to let us know you were coming. She talked about you like you were everything good in the universe.”  
The woman couldn’t help but blush at that.  
“You all have been through so much, more than me and Lance can ever imagine. I’m so glad you all have each other, and I want you to know that we consider you family too, if you want to be.”  
At first, Catra didn’t know what to say. Family had always been such a foreign concept to her, something she would never be a part of. And yet, here she was, in the home of her friend’s parents, feeling more comfortable than she ever did in the Fright Zone.  
“I’d like that.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, double digit chapter numbers, here we come! I love Bow’s dads so much! I am so happy that we got to see them in the final season! I only wish I could’ve included some puns, but like Glimmer, I do not speak Dad.


	11. Maybe Someday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra makes a new friend and she discusses with Adora their plans for the future.

“Have I told you today how beautiful you look?”  
“Only about one hundred times this hour, Adora.”  
“I’m just so excited to be here with you.”   
All of the rebellion had decided to have a huge festival at Brightmoon to celebrate the defeat of Horde Prime. The week-long event consisted of dinners, dances, and on this particular day, a parade through the streets, showcasing all the Princesses and their closest friends.   
Catra took her girlfriend’s hand. “I’m excited to be with you, too. And, I gotta say, you are looking pretty stunning yourself.”  
The blonde laughed, “that’s because I’m She-ra right now, with flowing hair and eight feet tall. It’s easy to find her attractive.”  
“I know you see She-ra as a separate from you, but I don’t. Doesn’t matter what form you take, you’ll always be my Adora.”  
The warrior blushed deeply and waved her free hand at the crowd.   
They walked together with Bow and Glimmer for a long while, than, once the parade had dispersed, they enjoyed a huge feast held in their honor.  
“Dang,” the part-feline said as she stuffed her face full of food. “If I had known how good the food is here, I’d have left the Horde a long time ago.”  
“It is pretty great.”  
“Okay,” Glimmer started, “how bad was the food in the Fright Zone? The way you guys talk about it, sounds like you were better of eating dirt.”  
“They were bar-shaped blobs that came in two flavors; brown and gray.”  
“Enough said.”  
Suddenly, Catra yelped and quickly turned around.  
“Who just pulled my tail! I’m going to kill you- oh.”  
Adora looked to see what made her partner stop mid-threat. Right in front of them was a little girl, who seemed to be about the age of three, on the verge of tears.  
A women, presumably the child’s mother, ran toward her and scooped her up.   
“I am so sorry! I looked away for a moment and she just took off.”  
“I didn’t mean to upset her,” the child sobbed.  
“She really didn’t. I think she was just curious because she doesn’t meet a lot of people outside of the family that look like her.”  
Now that Adora really looked at the kid, she did see some have some similar traits to the one she loved. Her ears were more rounded and her tail was skinny with a poof of hair at the end, but they were still remarkably similar to the girl sitting next to her. In fact, if the little girl didn’t have the ocher complexion that she did, the two could be related.  
“It’s okay,” Catra assured. Then, she stood up and held out her hands. “May I?”  
The mother nodded and handed her child over.  
“Hey, what’s your name?”  
The toddler sniffled, “Ari.”  
“Ari, that’s a pretty name. Mine is Catra.”  
“I’m sorry I pulled on your tail.”  
Before the girl could dissolve into sobs again, the women quickly spoke, “hey, it’s okay. You didn’t mean to hurt me. I’m sorry that I yelled like that. Can you forgive me?”  
Ari nodded and put her arms around the other’s neck.  
“Aw,” Bow gapped. “She is such a sweetheart.”  
Ari gave him a dirty look. “I am not your sweetheart!”  
“Oh, I like you already. Would you like to play a game?” The former Horde leader than looked to Ari’s mom. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”  
“It’s fine by me. I’m only a few tables over so I won’t be too far away.”  
The part feline sat down and placed her new companion on her lap, facing outward. “Tell me, Ari, have you ever been in space?”  
“No.”  
“Well I have,” Catra said proudly. “I flew on a spaceship to galaxies far, far away.”  
The child gasped, “you have!”  
“Yep, and that’s how I know that flying in a spaceship feels exactly like this.” The women bounced her legs up and down and swayed them left to right, causing the little girl to squeal in delight.  
Glimmer leaned over and whispered into Adora’s ear, “she’s really good with her.”  
“Yeah,” the First One said as she looked at her partner with wonder in her eyes. “She really is.”  
————————————————————  
That night, the couple were getting ready for bed when Adora said, “you were really good with that kid at the festival today.”  
“Who, Ari? That was nothing, I honestly just wanted her to stop crying.”  
“Not true, I saw the way you were smiling while you played with her. You loved it.”  
Catra sighed, smiling. “Okay, it was pretty fun.”  
The two started to unmake the bed so they could get some sleep.  
“You know,” the blonde started, “in the Horde , it was all about fighting and serving our mighty leader and all that propaganda. Having kids wasn’t even an possibility. Would that be something you’d want now that it is?”  
The women awkwardly ran her hands through her hair. “I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it. Would we even have that option, us being a same-sex couple?”  
“We could always adopt. And Glimmer says that it’s super easy for couples of the same gender to have a baby through magic. But that’s only something we would do if we both wanted it.”  
“Do you?”  
“Do I what?”  
“Do you want it?”  
Adora considered this for a long moment. She had always found kids cute and loved to play with them, but she knew there was a difference between that and having a kid of your own, being responsible for it twenty-four seven. It would be an adventure, to say the least, and most likely a taxing one.  
But she also couldn’t get over the joy she felt at seeing her girlfriend play with that little girl.  
“I think it might be.”  
The pair got into bed and cuddled up next to each other, Catra leaning her body on Adora’s chest and Adora putting her arm around Catra’s shoulder.  
“I wouldn’t want to do it right now. If we decided to we would definitely wait a few years before we even started planning. I was just curious about what your thoughts on the subject was. You and I are in this together, whatever we chose.”  
The two just sat in blissful silence for a few minutes before the part-feline spoke, barely above a whisper.  
“Having a kid might be nice. So, to answer your question, maybe. Someday.”  
The blonde gave her love a kiss on the forehead and smiled. “Yeah, maybe someday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still on the fence about whether or not I want to go farther with this storyline. The thing is, I don’t want this to become all about them having kids, this work is about to them building their new relationship l, so it would definitely exist in it’s own work, maybe even a continuous story, if I decide to write more. What do you guys think? Is that something you’d be interested in reading? Anyway, thank you for reading as always, you guys are so sweet and your comments make my day.


	12. Not In Your Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora is spreading herself too thin and Catra has to tell her to stop.

Catra sat on the floor of the spaceship and petted Melog. “Are you excited to be going home, buddy?”  
The magical creature purred at her embrace and telepathically told her that Krytis wasn’t home anymore. Home was now being with her on Etheria.  
“Yeah, I feel the same way about the Fright Zone.”  
“I’m so excited to see what this planet looked like before the First One invasion,” Adora said, already transformed in She-ra. “If it’s anything like Etheria it’s going to be beautiful.”  
“I’m landing us on Krytis now,” Bow said as he tapped a few screens. “How are you doing Glimmer?”  
“Fine. Ready to be back on solid ground with access to magic again.”  
As much as the queen loved to travel to the other planets in the universe, everyone in the Best Friends Squad new she wasn’t too keen on being unable to teleport and practice sorcery aboard the ship.  
“Well, we aren’t staying long. She-ra will heal the planet and after that we will spend a few days mapping out the planets geography. Then it’s back to Brightmoon for some rest and relaxation.”  
“I’m ready to sleep for days,” the blonde replied, causing her girlfriend to grow concerned.  
“Are you tired right now? Maybe you shouldn’t heal the whole planet immediately. Don’t feel like you have to give more energy than you physically and mentally can.”  
“I’ll be fine, Catra. Magic is what She-ra is all about. And the quicker we do this, the quicker we can rest.”  
The part-feline wanted to push further, but decided against it. One of her partners best and worst qualities is that she is very stubborn. She would do this whether Catra wanted her to or not.  
Darla suddenly come on the ship’s speakers, “landing on planet Krytis successful. Ready to open for exit of spacecraft upon request.”  
“Go for it Darla.”  
When the team exited the ship, they noticed that nothing on the planet had changed since their last visit. Everything seemed so gray and bleak. the only evidence of life ever being here was the run down spires of Horde Prime’s former empire.  
“Okay, sword,” the warrior princess said, “let’s do this thing.” Than the women with flowing hair glowed with blinding light and drove the object into the ground.  
Suddenly, color began to come to life all around them. The earth turned a rich teal color and vibrant plants started to bloom everywhere.   
“Wow,” Bow said, looking all around. “This is incredible.”  
A few minutes later and She-ra stopped glowing, allowing her to lift up the sword and start to stand up.  
Suddenly, Adora started to feel very dizzy. She felt the breathe had been sucked out of her lungs. Not being able to hold it anymore, she lost her connection to She-ra and collapsed to the ground.  
She vaguely heard Catra calling her name before she blacked out.  
————————————————————  
The next time she opened her eyes, she was on a bed aboard the spaceship, Melog snuggled right up next to her.   
“What...what happened?”  
“Adora! You’re awake,” Catra said as she jumped out of the chair she was sitting in and went to the bedside. “Apparently healing Krytis took too much out of you. You’ve been unconscious for over a day.”  
“Did it work? If the planet healed?”  
“Of course that’s one of the first things you ask. Yes, every bit of magic seems to have been restored. Bow and Glimmer are doing a quick surveillance and then we are leaving.”  
“We were supposed to stay here for a few days.”  
“And you were supposed to not pass out.”  
Seeing the way her girlfriend’s tail bristled, she asked, “are you mad at me?”  
“Yes, I’m mad at you! I told you not to push yourself, but you just had to go and do it anyway.”  
“I was feeling tired, we all were. I didn’t think it was a big deal if it was happening to everyone.”  
“But you are the only one who is healing entire planets,” the former Horde leader reasoned. Her eyes started to water, “for a while, it looked like we might loose you. That kind of episode doesn’t come from just being a little tired, it comes from being completely drained.”  
“You said it yourself, Catra. I’m the only one who can do this.”  
“But you don’t have to do it so quickly, going from planet to planet in a matter of days. You already saved the universe, you can take healing it as slow as you need and want.  
“I’m not going to ask you to stop, I know that’s not in your nature. But I am asking you to do it less. Heal a planet a dozen times a year instead of a dozen times a month. Please, Adora, I can’t loose you.”  
When the blonde looked into the other’s eyes, she realized that doing this would help Catra’s well-being improve just as much as hers. They were an item now, a team. When one got hurt, the other felt it, even if it wasn’t exactly the same.  
“Okay,” she said, “I’ll slow down.”  
“Thank you,” was the response she received, along with a kiss on the forehead. “Now you just lay there and rest. We will be home soon.”  
“Yeah,” the girl said as she moved onto her side, “can rest now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I had an exhausting day so it might just be this fic for now but I did want to at least write something just to stay in the habit. Hope you enjoyed. Also 10k words yay!


	13. A Place For Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the team’s first night back at the Brightmoon castle, and Adora and Catra settle into their room.

“I am so excited to be home,” Glimmer shouted as she ran towards the entrance of the Brightmoon palace.   
It had been almost two weeks since Horde Prime had been defeated, and it had finally been determined that, aside from the palace being looted of a lot of it’s valuable possessions, it was safe for the alliance to return to it and continuing planning on how to rebuild Etheria from there.  
Catra looked up at the building. “It’s a lot bigger up close.”  
“Oh, that’s right,” Bow said, “you’ve never been inside. The only time you were here was at the Battle of Brightmoon.”  
The part-feline winced at the mention of the fight, remembering every detail of the event. How she had fought so hard for something she didn’t really want, to the point that she scratched up all of Adora’s back, leaving permanent scars. How she had messed with the Black Garnet and ended up upsetting the delicate balance of Etheria.   
Suddenly, the young women was pulled from her thoughts by the sensation of a gentle squeeze to her hand.   
Adora smiled, “I think you’ll like staying here for a while. It’s definitely different from the Horde, and all the bright colors can be a bit intimidating at first, but there’s something about it. This place has a way of making you feel protected, loved.”  
Her girlfriend smirked. “Right now the only thing I want to feel is my face hitting a pillow. I am exhausted.”  
“It is getting late,” King Micah said as he caught up with the group of friends, “let’s all get some sleep and regroup first thing in the morning.”  
All of the other princesses and alliance members followed the king’s instructions and proceeded to their designated rooms, leaving only the Best Friends Squad outside.  
“So,” the queen said nervously, pointing from Adora to Catra, “how do you guys want to do this?”  
“How do we want to do what?”  
“Should I set up Catra with a room of her own?”  
Oh. The pair hadn’t thought to discuss their new sleeping arrangement before coming here. Since their declarations of love for each other at the Heart, the two had just slept at the hideout with their mattresses sitting right next to each other. But this was a lot more intimate. They’d be sleeping on one mattress, together, in a room with just the two of them. They hadn’t even done that in the Fright Zone.  
The blonde looked to her partner for any indication as to what she wanted.   
All she got was a shrug and a, “I’m fine with whatever you want, Adora. Melog is off exploring Etheria, so I’d be happy to spend the night with you.”  
What she wanted. It seemed as if she was asking herself this question more and more often. I guess that was something she would have to get used to now that she wasn’t fighting a galactic tyrant anymore.  
She knew that some decisions would be harder to make, but this one was easy. She wanted to wake up with Catra, to see her face as the sunlight shown in through the windows and hear her soft purr as she slept.  
“I think we are all set. Thanks for the offer though.”  
The group entered the castle and said goodnight to each other, going their separate ways.   
“Are you sure your okay with sleeping in my room? You wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you wanted a space all to yourself.”  
“I’m tired of having space all to myself. That was all I had in the Fright Zone at the end. I’m actually really excited that there’s now going to be a place for us.”  
The First One smiled, “I like that word. Us.”  
“You know, it’s really starting to grow on me too.”  
The couple entered the circular room, placing all of their belongings on the floor.   
“It honestly looks exactly as I left it, unmade bed and all.”  
“I’m going to go into the bathroom and change into my pajamas. Are you going to take a shower while I’m gone?”  
“Take a shower,” Adora responded, confused.   
“Yeah, isn’t that what that thing is there for,” the former Horde leader replied, pointing to the water feature in the corner.  
“Oh, you mean the waterfall. Yeah, that’s actually not for showering.”  
Catra blinked and headed for the bathroom. “This place is so weird.”  
Her girlfriend chuckled and began to change into her nighttime clothes as well.  
Fifteen minutes later, the two were standing at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do.  
“So,” the blonde started, “how exactly do we want to sleep?”  
“I’m not sure. I mean, we could do it the way we did in the Horde? With you at the head of the bed and me curled up at the bottom.”  
“Beats awkwardly standing here.”   
The pair got into the familiar position and sat in an uncomfortable silence for a rather long time.  
“You know, when I left the Horde, I never thought we would ever sleep together again. I’m glad I was wrong.”  
“Same here. I love you, Adora.”  
“Love you too.”  
It wasn’t long until everyone in the room was in a blissful sleep and everything seemed to be going smoothly.  
That is, until Catra woke up to a shooting pain in her chest.  
Clutching the part where she had been hit, the part-feline looked around to see what had caused the injury. She got her answer when she barely dodged a foot that almost collided with her cheek.  
Adora was sleep fighting, thrashing around and kicking her legs as hard as she could.   
In the Horde, Catra had learned to sleep through the other woman’s movements, but there was something very different about this situation. Her movements seemed more chaotic, more desperate.  
The girl crawled her way up to the head of the bed and gently placed her hand on the other’s shoulder.  
“Adora? Sweetie, are you okay?”  
The embodiment of She-ra jolted awake, grabbing under her pillow for a knife that wasn’t there.   
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s only me. It seemed like you were having a bad dream, so I woke you up. It’s all okay.”  
“Horde Prime. He was coming for us.”  
“He’s gone. He can’t hurt us anymore.”  
The First One buried her face in the other’s neck. “Can you just... just stay like this and hold me? Just for a little longer?”  
“Of course.”  
For the next half hour, there was no verbal conversation, but no words needed to be said. Just the act of the duo holding each other tight and not letting go said enough.  
“You know, I think I actually prefer this arrangement to me sleeping at the edge of the bed.”  
A small laugh came in reply, “me too.”  
It was in this state that they woke up the next morning, feeling extremely well rested and comfortable.  
And so, it only made sense to repeat the same process every night, going to sleep cuddled close together and waking up in each other’s arms, holding on tight to what mattered most to them in the whole universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. As you can probably tell, I am a huge fan of cuddles. And you know the next morning Adora playfully teased Catra for calling her ‘sweetie.’


	14. Be A Little Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora has too much to drink and decides to sing karaoke.

“Do we have to go out tonight,” Catra asked as she flopped onto the bed in her and Adora’s room.  
“I thought you had said that you wanted to be more supportive of Scorpia and her interests?”  
“I did and I do. It’s just there is always so many princesses as well. It still makes me feel kind of uncomfortable.”  
Now that the princess alliance was transferring to a role dealing more with diplomacy and reconstruction than fighting, it gave an excuse for the group to hang out more without a life threatening situation looming over them. This included things like game night at Spinerella and Netossa’s, craft hour with Perfuma, and, a new addition, karaoke at the popular tavern in Seaworthy.  
“I get that,” the blonde said as she sat down next to her partner. “It took me a while too, when I switched sides. But the awkwardness you feel around them won’t go away if you avoid them forever.”  
The part-feline sighed, “I suppose you are right.”  
“And besides, it’s kind of fun, you know?”  
“What is?”  
“To go out with friends and hang out, not worrying about dying or training. Just allowed to be ourselves. It’s an experience you and I never really got in the Horde.”  
Catra thought about what she had said in the bedroom all the way to the tavern and the whole time Adora was downing pint after pint of some pink drink.  
“I don’t know, guys,” Scorpia said nervously. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”  
“C’mon Scorpia,” Catra said encouragingly, “we both know you are a fantastic singer. You are gonna knock the socks off of everyone in this place.”  
Perfuma gave her girlfriend a small kiss on the cheek. “You are going to do great, sunflower.”  
“You guys are so annoyingly cute,” Catra joked, “we get it, you’re in love.”  
“You’re on to talk, Catra,” Glimmer smirked, “considering that you still sit in Adora’s lap every single meeting even though you have your own chair.”  
“Make a chair as comfortable as her lap and we then we can talk.”  
Bow, who was sitting right next to the queen and holding her hand, suddenly looked around at the table. “Where is Adora anyway?”  
As if on cue, the blonde woman came back to the table with a fresh round of drinks. “Guys, this stuff is so good.”  
Mermista grabbed a pint from the tray and sized her friend up. “You may want to cut back on the drinks, Adora.”  
“No, I’m fine. I’m She-ra.”  
Catra leaned over and placed her hand on top of her girlfriend’s. “That’s not really a valid argument, honey. How many drinks have you had?”  
“I don’t know. I just know it was a lot.”  
As the part-feline ordered a water for her partner, she noticed how anxious Scorpia was getting.  
“Scorpia, look at me. You are gonna do great tonight and we are all going to be here cheering you on.”  
“Yeah,” Bow agreed, “you got this!”  
Suddenly, everyone in their circle was joining in, giving her words of encouragement.   
The former Horde officer blushed at the boast of confidence from her found family. When her name was called to the stage, she was met with another cheer.  
“Hello everyone. Thanks for coming out tonight. My name is Scorpia and I’ll be singing the song, ‘Someone Like You’.”  
Catra had to admit that when she saw her friend on that stage, she couldn’t imagine her being anywhere else than up there. It wasn’t just the makeup and black dress that made her look different, it was her confidence. All her insecurities seemed to melt away and the only thing that mattered was that she was singing and having fun with it. Maybe that was the kind of unwinding that Adora had been talking about earlier.  
The former Horde leader hated that she had discouraged Scorpia from doing things like singing in public sooner, but she was grateful for the opportunity to support her now.  
The whole performance was spectacular, the song showing off her vocal range and ability to keep pace with the music. When the song came to a close, it wasn’t just Scorpia’s friends that were cheering her on.  
“That was amazing,” Glimmer said as the singer returned to her seat at their table. “I always love hearing you sing.”  
“You will be the best performance of the night, no contest.”  
“I always knew you could do it, beautiful.”  
“Aw, this really sweet of you all to say. Thanks for coming out to support me.”  
Adora suddenly started to tear up. “Of course I came, Scorpia. Even when you were with the Horde, you were still my best friend.”  
The white-haired woman looked over at her friend, concerned. “Um, is she okay? Seems like she’s mixing up her people.”  
“Yeah, she’ll be fine. Just had a little too much to drink.”  
Suddenly, the announcer came up on the stage and spoke into the microphone, “pardon the interruption, but we still have a few slots for karaoke left open for tonight. Come up to the table and make your selection now.”  
Scorpia looked around at her friends. “Anyone else want to sing? It would be nice to not be only one in the group who went up there.”  
The embodiment of She-ra lifted up her head from the table and gasped, “I want to sing!”  
“I don’t know if that’s such a great idea,” Glimmer tried to reason. “You don’t seem like yourself and I don’t want you doing anything you might regret.”  
“You can’t stop me from dreaming,” the blonde shouted as she sprinted towards the table.  
The queen turned her attention to Catra. “Are you going to just sit there while she makes a fool of herself?”  
The women was just about to get up and carry her away if she had to, but then suddenly, she stopped herself. She looked over at her girlfriend, who was happily picking a song, not a care in the world.  
She couldn’t give her a childhood full of happy memories and no troubles, but maybe she could give her this night just to be a little wild for once.  
“Of course I’m not going to do nothing. Entrapta, you’re recording this right?”  
“Affirmative.”  
The part-feline looked to the sorceress and gave a thumbs up. “See, it’s all taken care of, Sparkles.”  
“This is serious-“  
“No it’s not, that’s the point. She missed out on a lot of things growing up in the Horde, basically any chance to be a kid and have fun. So, if Drunk! Adora wants to get up on a stage and sing a song, than just let her do it. She’s going to have a huge headache in the morning either way. At least this way we’ll have a good story to tell from it.”  
“Shhh,” Bow said to them, “she’s onstage now.”  
The First One looked out into the audience and put the microphone up to her mouth. “Hey, everybody! I’m Adora and I’ll be singing ‘Warriors’. I’d like to dedicate this song to my girlfriend, Catra. I love you so much honey and it actually was me who stole your ration bars that one time, not Kyle.”  
“Wait, what!”  
The second the music started, the girl on stage started to openly jump to the music, fearlessly belting out the words. She played a lot of air guitar and bobbing her head up and down.  
The song eventually came to a close and the girl returned to the table and she turned to the love of her life.  
“Did I do a good job?”  
“Did you have a fun time?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then yes, you did a fantastic job.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this piece there was a lot of editing and moving things around for a more authentic flow, so I’m not quite sure how good the finished is. The creator can never really read their work from a viewers perspective. 
> 
> Also, if anyone has any prompts they would want to see turned into a oneshot, feel free to post. I have a handful of ideas that I want to explore, but a lot of times my favorite things I have written are the ones that someone else motivated me to write. Thanks for reading as always, I’m blown away by the love and support I’ve been getting.


	15. A Gentle Nudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra attempt to get Perfuma and Scorpia together.

“I don’t know, Catra,” Adora said as got dressed for the day, “maybe we should just let the two figure things out on their own.”  
“Why wait possibly years for them to admit their feelings to each other when they could be happy now?”  
“Some people need that time to figure out what they truly want in life,” the blonde responded as she secured her pony tail. “We were like that.”  
“But that doesn’t mean they have to be. Adora, I love our life together and I wouldn’t change anything. But I sometimes wonder how much easier it would have been if we had just been honest with each other about our feelings from the start. I don’t want Scorpia to wonder if her crush likes her back when it’s painfully obvious to everyone else that she does.”  
“My crush on you wasn’t painfully obvious.”  
“Yes, it was. Mine was too. But we were so involved in the situation that we couldn’t see through our own insecurities about being rejected. That’s where Perfuma and Scorpia are now.”   
Adora smirked at her girlfriend. “You know, I find this whole ‘insightful and willing to help others’ mentality really attractive.”  
“I know,” she replied as she put her arm around the other, “my plan is working perfectly.  
“So, are you in?”  
The First One sighed, “Okay, I’m in. But we gotta start slow. Like at today’s meeting. We will drop some hints about the two of them going out and see what happens.”  
“You mean the meeting we are already late for?”  
“What are you talking ab- oh my gosh! We are missing the meeting!”  
Adora grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her into the hallway, practically sprinting towards the room.  
“We are so sorry we’re late,” she said as she opened the doors and quickly took her seat. “Accidentally slept in.”  
“I’m not sorry,” the part-feline replied as she jumped into her girlfriend’s lap.  
“Catra, do you really have to sit right there?”  
“What? I’m not doing anything.”  
“Well, now that everyone is finally here,” Glimmer said, “we can get started. Mermista, how is rebuilding Salineas going?”  
“It’s coming along, slowly but surely. The hardest part is finding temporary shelter for the huge amount of people whose homes where destroyed during Hordak’s invasion. But everyone seems to be getting by and new housing is already being built.”  
“That’s great to hear. Scorpia, what’s going on in your kingdom?”  
“I mean, it’s not really my kingdom anymore, since the Horde destroyed everything. We seem to be doing good. Still working on a name for the place, since the Fright Zone is kind of depressing. That’s one of the major problems with the place. It’s hard for former soldiers to live there when they are surrounded by a reminder of the thing that trapped them for so long.”  
“Maybe you could repurpose it,” Adora suggested. “You know, make it more cheery. I bet Perfuma and you could decorate the place together.”  
“That’s a great idea! And Entrapta can help with reinstalling our technology!”  
As the purple-haired princess grew excited over the possibility of outfitting a whole kingdom with new tech, the embodiment of She-ra realized it might take more than just a subtle hint to get them together.  
“Well that didn’t go as planned,” she confessed to her girlfriend after the meeting was over. “I dropped so many hints. Suggesting they decorate together, go check out the new sights in the Whispering Woods, take a vacation to Mystacor. And nothing.”  
“Yeah, the obliviousness is strong with those two. We might have to take a more direct approach, encourage them to tell each other how they feel.”  
“You take Scorpia, I take Perfuma?”  
Catra nodded and headed in the direction of the princesses bedroom. Once she arrived, she barely got a chance to knock before the door swung open.  
“You have got to tell your girlfriend to stop suggesting Perfuma and I go out together!”  
The former Horde leader’s jaw dropped. “You knew what she was doing?”  
“Of course I did. I’m a spy, Catra. I have incredible instincts.”  
“Than why didn’t you go for it? You had plenty of chances to make your move.”   
Scorpia sighed, “It wasn’t the right time.”  
“Scorpia, there’s never going to be a perfect time to ask her. You make the moment perfect by simply doing it.  
“I speak from experience. I waited years for there to be a perfect moment to tell Adora that I loved her, but nothing ever compared to what my expectations of it would be. Then she left the Horde and it was years before we could even think of each other as friends again. Don’t wait to tell her, we never know how much time we really have.”  
The princess looked at her friend with apprehension. “I’m scared.”  
“And you should be. Taking that kind of risk is freaking scary. But I’m going to tell you what Perfuma told me. It’s hard to keep your heart open. It makes you vulnerable. But it doesn’t make you weak, and I have to believe it’s worth it.”  
Scorpia smiled, giving her friend a gentle hug. “Thanks, Wild Cat.”  
The shorter girl hugged back, replying, “anytime.”  
Elsewhere, Adora finally found Perfuma, sulking in the palace gardens.  
“Perfuma, what’s wrong?”   
The girl in pink wiped her tears away with her elbow. “Scorpia doesn’t like me.”  
“What? That’s crazy, of course she likes you.”  
“You saw her in the meeting. She shot down every suggestion of us being alone together. You don’t act like that towards someone you like.”  
“You do if your nervous the other person doesn’t feel the same way.”  
“I can’t take that risk. Scorpia needs me as a friend, and I need her as mine. I can’t jeopardize what we have now for something that may or may not be possible.”  
“Are you jeopardizing your friendship? Or are you actually helping it become something deeper?”  
Perfuma let out a long sigh, “it’s harder to be open when one of the outcomes seems like the end of the world.”  
“I know Scorpia feels the same way about you as you do her. And even if she didn’t, she’s not the type of person to end a friendship just because of that.”  
“Hey, Perfuma?”  
The two blondes sitting on the bench turned their heads to see Scorpia standing awkwardly a few feet away, not hearing any of the conversation.  
“I was wondering if I could talk to you.”  
Adora stood up and said, “I’ll let you two have some privacy.” She walked over to Catra, who was standing behind a pillar.  
The First One sighed, “we aren’t giving them privacy, are we?”  
“What kind of wing woman would we be if we did?”  
“So, uh,” Scorpia started, “I’m really glad we are friends. You’ve definitely helped me with my confidence. When I’m with you I can do anything.  
“But lately, I’ve been feeling like we should be more than friends... but only if you want that too! If not I’d be okay with the way things are, but I just think you’re so pretty and brave and special and I’m babbling now and I don’t know how to stop.”  
The other princess placed both of her hands on the women’s claws. “Scorpia, would you like to go on a date with me?”  
“Huh?”  
“You heard me. I like you as more than I friend too. I think your beautiful and talented and everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner. So if you’d do me the honor, I’d love to take you out sometime.”  
The girl blushed a red so deep it matched the color of her tail. “I’d love to.”  
“Wow,” Adora whispered behind the pillar, “we are really good at this.”  
“They had it in them all along. They just needed a gentle nudge in the right direction.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I just love Perfuma and Scorpia being together, they make each other so happy!


	16. All That Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra asks Adora a question.

“Can I ask you something?” Catra looked over to her partner as the two cuddled in bed, Adora’s arm wrapped around her, her hand playing with the other’s hair.  
“Of course you can. What is it?”  
“What does it feel like? When you transform? You always talk about her as if she’s a separate person, but you still act like you when you are She-ra.”  
“It’s...hard to put into words. But it still feels like I’m me, just a stronger, more powerful me.”  
“Just because She-ra can throw tanks and stuff doesn’t mean you aren’t as strong as her.”  
“I don’t know about that. She can heal whole planets and dying people, something I’ll never be able to do.”  
“Nonsense,” The part-feline whispered as she leaned her forehead against the blonde’s. “You helped heal me. Allowed me to see a path away from the Fright Zone, a more happy one. And you waited for me until I was ready to take it.”  
“Do you ever wonder about what would’ve happened to us? If I hadn’t found the sword?”  
“I used to. While I was with the Horde it was all I could think of. How if you had stayed then we could’ve been happy, been together. But now I realize that it wouldn’t have worked, there was too much holding us back while we were there. From being a couple or even being our best selves. Something had to change in order for us to be together.”  
“I just wish it hadn’t taken so long.”  
“We’re together now. That all that matters to me.”  
“Yeah, I agree. That’s all that matters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one, but I still thought it was a cute idea. Also, how am I close to 5k views? When I began writing this, I was thinking it would be cool if I got to one. Thanks for everyone whose read it!


	17. The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora loves waking up with Catra.

Waking up was almost always the best part of Adora’s day.  
It wasn’t that the rest of the day wasn’t enjoyable, in fact she felt like these were best days of her life.   
But nothing that went on in the day could compare to waking up next to Catra. The way she glowed in the morning sunlight, her chest steadily rising and falling as she slept in. How she would subconsciously lean in to the blonde’s touch. It almost felt too good to be true.  
The first night they slept together in their Brightmoon room was a little awkward at first. They were still trying to figure out how their relationship would change their dynamic. But everything fell into place when Adora woke up from her nightmare to see Catra hovering over her, concerned. Falling back to sleep in her arms felt like the most natural thing in the world, a moment she felt blessed to be a part of. They had finally found each other again, and this time they were never letting go.  
The blonde sort of expected the magic of waking up in her girlfriend’s arms to eventually fade away, becoming just a regular part of their routine. It never did. Every time she opened her eyes and looked at the person right next to her, she fell in love all over again.  
There had been times when Catra had woken up before her, though it was rare, as the First One was an early riser, while the part-feline like to sleep in. Usually the girl would wake up the other forehead kisses and gentle nudges.  
There was one time she did not wake her significant other up, and Adora woke up alone. Looking out the window, she knew it was too early for a meeting to go one, so she figured something terrible must’ve happened to her girlfriend. She was almost out the door, already transformed into She-ra when Catra returned, holding a tray of food in both her hands.  
“Uh,” she started, “what’s going on?”  
“I woke up and you weren’t there,” the warrior princess explained. “I figured you must’ve been kidnapped or something.”  
“Um, no. Did not get kidnapped, just went down to the kitchen.”  
Adora returned to her regular self. “What were you doing there?”  
“Well, I made us some chocolate chip pancakes and put this tray together. I was gonna surprise you with breakfast in bed. But you kind of ruined it, so thanks a lot.”  
“Aw, you made us breakfast?”  
“Yes, and it’s to be eaten in bed. So get back into bed and eat it.”  
“Geez, someone’s being bossy.”  
“Hey, I made this breakfast from scratch.” At the questioning glare from her girlfriend, she amended, “okay, so the kitchen staff made the batter from scratch, but I did cook them and put it together with the fruit and juice. I think that counts for something.”  
“Of course it does. This is so sweet, thank you.”  
The couple got back into bed and enjoyed the food in comfortable silence until Adora noticed the other girl was staring at her.  
“What,” she asked, her mouth full. “Is there melted chocolate on my face?”  
“You were worried about me.”  
The blonde swallowed and rolled her eyes, “of course I was worried. I don’t like waking up without you there. When I woke up you and you were gone, I almost had a heart attack. But this food is so good, I can forgive you.”  
“How generous of you.”  
“That’s just the kind of selfless person I am.”   
Adora still didn’t quite understand how their relationship is able to work despite all that had happened in the past, that they had even reunited at all. She supposed love could be mysterious like that. All she knew for certain was that being able waking up with the love of her life was the best thing that has ever happened.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I just love the idea of Catra seeing Adora asleep and going “I’m gonna make breakfast in bed for us.”
> 
> Also, thank you to the person who alerted me to the fact that one of the chapters had been posted twice. By deleting the extra chapter, your comment disappeared before I could respond. I have no idea how that happened, but as far as I can tell the problem is fixed.


	18. So Competitive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s game night at Spinerella and Netossa’s with Catra and Adora.

“You guys finally made it,” Spinerella said as she opened the door to her house, welcoming the couple in.  
“Yeah,” Adora said, “and we brought some cookies for us all to enjoy.”  
“Better than the vegetable platter that’s waiting for us in the living room,” Netossa added as the group headed in that direction.  
“A vegetable platter,” Catra said, confused. “Why? No one likes vegetable platters.”  
“Exactly!” The net thrower looked to her wife, as if to say that she had told her that before.  
“Don’t worry,” the woman replied, ignoring the look she was getting from her partner, “we also have chips and drinks. I’m just excited to finally get to have game night with another couple.”  
“Yeah, about that. We grew up in the Horde, so we don’t exactly have a grasp on how to play games.”  
“Unless you want to count the simulations where we too out princesses,” the part-feline added. “I could kick all your butts at that.”  
“Oh, really?” Netossa put her hands on her hips. “I still have that water squirter.”  
“How about we don’t do that,” Spinerella quickly interjected. “It’s okay that you aren’t familiar with a lot of games. We can start simple.  
“This one, for instance, is super easy to understand. You and your partner are on a team against the other pair. One of you picks a slip of paper from the bowl without letting the other person look, alternating every turn. You have fifteen seconds to act out whatever is on the paper without using any words in the hopes your teammate guesses. Every correct guess gets you one point. Once time is up or a correct guess is made, it goes to the other team and the process starts all over. First couple to ten points wins.”  
The blonde nodded her head, “seems easy enough, right Catra?”  
“Yeah, it does. Me and Adora are gonna pummel you into the ground.”  
First up were the hosts of the event, with Netossa being the actor. Once the timer was set, she looked at the paper and immediately raised her hand to the sky, fist balled as if she were clutching something.  
“She-ra,” The guessed yelled.  
“Yes! First point goes to us.”  
“Hey! If anyone should’ve gotten She-ra, it’s me.”  
Catra grumbled as she fished for her first clue. Once she was allowed to go, she read the paper and smirked, putting her body into a position one would make if they were dipping someone.   
“Princess Prom!”  
That was one point for them. Spinerella was also able to get her team a point by making her hands look like claws, obviously trying to be Scorpia. It seemed the teams might go on with neither making great headway ahead of the other.  
That was, until Adora had to be the one to act it out. Her girlfriend had no idea what she was trying to simulate. As far as she could tell, she was just moving her arms up and down.  
“Time’s up!”  
The First One dropped her hands and sighed. “It was Swift Wind.”  
Catra’s forehead crinkled. “How on Etheria was that Swift Wind?”  
The game went on for another half hour, the younger couple missing more guesses than the other due to Adora’s poor acting skills.  
“Haha! We beat you!”  
“Just start the next game,” Catra said, her arms crossed.  
“Okay, but this time there are no teams. It’s called Uno.”  
After explaining how the game worked, the cards where drawn and the game began. Everyone eventually fell into a natural rhythm, quickly discarding or picking up cards on their turn.  
They had almost reached the end and it looked like Netossa was going to win, having only one card left in her hand. She was practically shaking at the excitement of her proximity to victory.  
“Sorry, darling,” Spinerella said as sat down a draw four card.   
“What! No, you can’t do that! I’m your wife.”  
“That means nothing in a game of Uno and you know that.”  
“Well,” Catra said, having only two cards left, “looks like I’m next in line to be champion.”  
“Not exactly,” said Adora as she placed down a draw two. “But unlike, Spinerella, I’m not even sorry.”  
The two women sat and smirked as their partners stewed in frustration.  
“They are both so competitive,” the blonde said.  
“Trust me, that’ll never go away. The good thing is you get a whole lifetime of teasing them for it.”  
“Sounds like a great way to spend your life.”  
“Can’t think of any other way to spend it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. The reason that I didn’t post a second fic yesterday was because I was writing something else, a work about Scorpia returning to the Fright Zone and finding a little bit more about her kingdom’s past. Check it out if you want to, but just so you know, that might happen again, where I only post one chapter cause I was working on something else.


	19. Start Doing Something Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has a panic attack out of nowhere and she discovers she isn’t the only one that happens to.
> 
> *This Chapter Includes Themes of Anxiety and PTSD*

Breathe. Catra kept telling herself to breathe. But as much as she tried to take deep, calming breaths, all that came out were shallow, panic-induced ones. It felt like the walls were closing in on her and all she could do was sit there and cry.  
They were just playing a game, a stupid card game. It was supposed to be a relaxing night for the Best Friends Squad, couple versus couple. Then Glimmer had mentioned something to her about putting her in her place. Suddenly, images of Shadow Weaver saying things of similar nature came flooding back. She excused herself to the bathroom, barely making it out before she broke down.  
Her greatest fear was that Adora is going to find her, hiding behind a pillar like a coward. That she’d see how weak she still was, even after facing Horde Prime himself. That she would find out how much of a loser she really was.   
“Catra? Are you okay?”   
The question scared the part-feline into remaining very still, even forgetting how to breathe for a moment. She could tell just by the voice that it was Sparkles. She hoped if she stayed quiet for long enough, the queen would blame the sobs she had previously heard on her imagination.  
No such luck. “I know you are here somewhere. It’s okay, I just want to help.” It wasn’t long before the princess found her. “Catra?”  
The crying woman wiped away her tears with her hand. “Go away.”  
“Do you want me to get Adora?”  
“No! Under no circumstances are you to tell her about this. Understood?”  
“Okay, okay,” the sorceress agreed, sitting beside the other person, “I won’t tell her if that’s what you want.  
“But you know, there’s no shame in getting panic attacks.”  
“A what?”  
“A panic attack. I guess they never explained what they were to you in the Horde. It’s when you suddenly get intense fear and anxiety, even when it isn’t warranted. I don’t understand why you don’t want to tell Adora though. I know she gets them too.”  
“She does,” Catra said, “but when she gets them, they always make sense. A traumatic memory is mentioned in detail or she has a nightmare. Mine always come up for the stupidest of reasons.”  
“You aren’t asking for these things to trigger your emotions. And no matter how it started, your feelings of anxiety are just as valid as anyone else’s. We are always the hardest on ourselves. It’s okay to not be okay, Catra.”  
The former Horde leader buried her head in between her legs.  
“Can I ask what it was that made you feel this way?”  
“I told you, it’s stupid.”  
“And I told you that it’s not.”  
The part-feline’s ear pointed downward in shame. “You told me you were going to put me in my place.”  
“What?”  
“When we were about to start the next round, you said that you were going to put me in my place. You know, as in beat me in the game. But all I could think about was the time Shadow Weaver said that to me, right after she told me she only kept me around cause Adora liked me.”  
“Oh, Catra, I’m sorry, I-“  
“How stupid is that,” the girl shouted, fresh tears streaming down her face. “I know you were just talking about the game, you weren’t going to do anything that would actually harm me. So why am I acting like that’s the case?”  
“Because even if you logically know that it’s not the case, your brain still feels like it’s in immediate danger. It jumps into the fight or flight mode. It’s honestly isn’t all that surprising, given what you’ve been through.”   
Catra sighed, “I just don’t want Adora to see me like this. Like a child who can’t even control her emotions.”  
“Is that how you see her when she gets like this?”  
“Of course not.”  
“Exactly, because you know how strong she is, just like she knows how strong you are. She could tell something was bothering you when you got up to leave.  
“I’m not going to betray your trust. I will not tell Adora about this, but I think you really should.”  
“What if it ruins our relationship?”  
“If you can’t talk about the things in your life that bother you, then you don’t have much of a relationship to start off with.”  
All of the sudden, Adora turned the corner in the hallway. Seeing her girlfriend on the floor, she immediately ran over and knelt beside her. “Catra? Are you okay?”   
Glimmer stood up, “I’m gonna get Bow and make some milkshakes for us. You two come down to the kitchen when you are ready.”  
Once the queen was gone, the blonde asked, “is it okay if I touch you?” At the nod of her girlfriend, the woman wrapped her arms around the part-feline.  
“I don’t know what happened. I was having a great time, really, and this panic just overwhelmed me.”  
“Yeah, I know. I get like that sometimes too.”  
“You do? I’ve never seen that happen.”  
The embodiment of She-ra looked down in shame. “Because I hide them. At first, it was just supposed to be during the war. I told myself that I was supposed to be the beacon of hope, and that meant I couldn’t be breaking down for no reason. Then, once everything was over and the war was one, I just never started to open up. I was so used to just pushing past it or excusing myself to somewhere private, that it felt wrong to start doing something different.”  
Catra took her girlfriend’s hands in her’s. “Maybe it’s time we both start doing something different. We have to tell each other when things aren’t going right. That’s the only way we can get better.”  
“Yeah, your right. I just want to be there for you.”  
“As long as I can be there for you as well, I’m okay with that.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of my experience with anxiety, so it might not fit into everyone’s point of reference. A lot of times the media will portray the times when it makes a lot of sense for someone to be overwhelmed in panic, but that isn’t always how it works. Sometimes you’re just having a normal day and a minor thing happens that wouldn’t normally look twice at and your brain goes off the rails. Like everyone who deals with stuff like this, it’s important that Catra and Adora have someone they can talk to about it, just knowing there’s someone there to listen makes all the diffence.


	20. Long Time, No See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has a short conversation with Double Trouble.

“Hey, Kitten.”  
Catra turned herself around on the Brightmoon balcony to see that the shapeshifter had snuck up behind them.  
“Hey, Double Trouble. Long time, no see.”  
“I guess that happens when one of you gets held prisoner aboard an alien ship.”  
“Yeah, or, you know, when one of them betrays the other.”  
“So, you’re still upset about that?”  
The part-feline ran her fingers through her hair and sighed deeply, “no, I’m not upset. We both know I would’ve done the exact same thing. And if you hadn’t told me what you had back in the Fright Zone, that it’s me who drives everyone away, I never would’ve finally had the courage to change.”  
“I’m glad you can see that. Though the money was the main motivation for helping you out all those time, I really did care about you.”  
“I know you did.”  
The Etherian joined the other and looked out at the view. “So, did you get what you really wanted?”  
The former Horde leader looked down at the garden she was directly over. There, Adora was sparing with Glimmer, and when she looked up to see her girlfriend watching her, she blew her a kiss in between blows.  
“Yeah. I did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was sooooo short, but I wanted to include at least a little interaction between the two since we never got it in the show after S4


	21. Needed To Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra apologizes to her former teammates in the Horde.

Catra hated being back in the Fright Zone alone. When she was with Scorpia or Adora, at least she had someone to talk with, to be distracted by. Being here without them made all those repressed feelings of isolation and abandonment come to the surface.  
Both had offered to come with her, but she had declined. She had someone she needed to talk to, and she needed to talk to them alone.  
She finally found the other girl in the locker room, dressed in her regular pants but a new shirt, one without the Horde symbol.  
“Guess we all got tired of wearing that logo, huh.”  
The women turned and her eyes widened. “Catra.”  
“Hey Lonnie.”  
Lonnie stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, making an obvious act of defiance against her former leader. “How did you know I was back in the Fright Zone?”  
“Scorpia had mentioned that you were returning, now that the Horde isn’t in power.”  
“Only for a little bit. Just to tie up lose ends and help stabilize the new kingdom. After that Kyle, Rogelio, and I are out of here.”  
“Yeah, I get that. You all had mentioned one time how you wanted to explore the Waste. That might be nice, get away and all.”  
“What do you want?”  
“Huh?”  
“You forget I’ve known you for our entire lives, Catra. And you have never made small talk, ever. So, tell me what you want and go.”  
Catra clutched her fists anxiously. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. For how I treated you. Not just at the end, but for all the years we were cadets together. I never should’ve acted like I was better than you. You were kind, smart, and genuinely cared about others, and I think that made me jealous. But that doesn’t justify how I treated you like garbage.”  
Lonnie raised her eyebrows, “and Kyle and Rogelio?”  
“I already apologized to them earlier in the mess hall. Then they pointed me in the direction of where I could find you.”  
About five minutes passed in complete silence after that, the two women not knowing exactly what to say to the other.  
“I know that you really are sorry about what you did, and I appreciate that,” the former Horde soldier said, “but that doesn’t change the fact that you hurt me for years over practically nothing, especially at the end, when I was only trying to help.”  
“I know and you have every right to be angry at me. I don’t expect you to want to be friends or even want to see me again. That’s on me and I accept full responsibility. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, know that I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”  
Lonnie swung her backpack over her shoulders. “Just....give me time. I think it’s gonna take a while for me to not see you without getting mad.”  
Catra slowly nodded as the other girl left the room.  
————————————————————  
Adora pulled the covers over her and Catra. “How did it go at the Fright Zone today?”  
“Better than I expected,” the part-feline admitted. “All three of them said they accepted my apology, but that they weren’t sure how to feel about me just yet and to give them some time away from it all.”  
“How does that make you feel?”  
“I think it’s for the best. I have done nothing to show them that I’ve truly changed, other than say a few words. I’m still working on letting my anger go and controlling my emotions. I don’t know what will happen between the four of us in the future, but all I can do is work on being a better person than I was before.”  
“You’ve changed so much already. Just the fact that you apologized without any expectations on their part is a sign of that.”  
“I’m still not perfect.”  
“No one is,” the blonde reasoned, “I don’t think being a good person is something you reach one day and it’s over. I think it’s just making the choice everyday to be the best you possible, and starting over when it you aren’t. And that all you can ask for.”  
Catra sighed and turned over on her side, her eyelids getting heavy. “I suppose you’re right.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t think it would be realistic for them to instantly be okay with Catra, just because she said sorry. And for me, I think this also shows how much Catra has grown. For so long it was how she wanted things to turn out and how she could get them there. Now she’s learning how to better herself and is starting to allow other people decide what they need her to do in order for them to heal.


	22. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora considers if she should look for her parents.

“Do you ever think about your parents?”  
Those words stopped Catra in her tracks. She and Adora had been going on a quiet afternoon walk, barely saying anything, just enjoying each other’s company.   
“What brought this up?”  
“Just seeing Bow happy with his family and Glimmer getting to know her dad, It makes me wonder about mine. I was wondering if that was just me.”  
The part-feline sighed. “Adora, you and I probably have very different family origins. I was an orphan in the Fright Zone, meaning either my parents are dead or abandoned me as an infant. You came through a portal from a mysterious First One family.”  
“That’s fair. But it’s only natural to be curious about them.”  
“I was when I was younger. But no matter who I asked about them, I was never given any real answers. The Horde said it didn’t matter who I am or where I came from, that there was a bigger issue at play and I was just a small part of the solution. Eventually, I accepted that. Besides, I have a family now, one I found on my own. Even if it does have a name as stupid as the ‘Best Friend Squad’.”  
The blonde smiled, “Bow insisted on that name.”  
“What about you? Have you thought about trying to find you family now that we are out of Despondos?”  
“I’ve thought about it. Part of me wants to know where I came from, to learn more about my people. But the more I find out about the First Ones, the more I’m worried about exactly who I would be meeting. Especially because I’m She-ra.”  
“Because they might want to control her.”  
Adora nodded, “I’m tired of being used so others can get what they want. Now that Etheria’s magic is restored and I see how beautiful and wild it is, it makes me realize all the more how much they took from it. If the faction that I came from is anything like the ones that were around a thousand years ago, I don’t want to find them.”  
“I’d understand if you wanted to take the risk though. We all would. Me and Glimmer and Bow would make sure you were never taken advantage of. If finding your parents is important to you, then it’s important to me too.”  
They continued walking for a few more minutes, and Catra could tell her girlfriend was thinking it over.   
She knew the blonde had come to some sort of conclusion when she took the other’s hand.  
“Maybe someday I look for them,” the First One said, “but for right now, I would rather be on Etheria with all of you, helping the planet get back on track.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive. And like you said, I have a family, the one I found without even looking for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was disappointed that we didn’t learn anything about where Adora came from. A lot of questions were left unanswered because of that, and it makes it kinda hard to write about. Thanks for reading!


	23. Ruin Their Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra checks on Adora after she defeats Horde Prime.

“Hey, Adora,” Catra said as she peeled back the curtain to the sleeping area, “do you want something for dinner?” She then realized that the blonde was fast asleep on her mattress, her chest slowly rising and falling, Melog curled up next to her. Knowing her, she had probably just come in here to get a something, maybe relax for a little bit, then wound up fast asleep.   
The part-feline couldn’t blame her for going to bed so early. In one day she had been infected with a virus, fought an ancient monster, lost Shadow Weaver, healed the entire planet, and got rid of Horde Prime for good. If anyone deserved a long rest, it was Adora.  
And something else had happened that day. The former Horde leader had told the First One she loved her and she actually said it back. Then they had kissed.  
Catra had always wondered what it would be like to kiss her. She had never kissed her while they were both in the Horde, as much as she had wanted to. She felt so certain that it would ruin their friendship.  
But actually kissing her, well that was better than she could’ve ever imagined. It felt like time had slowed and nothing mattered but the two of them being together. The Heart could’ve deployed and destroyed them both and neither would care. It felt so right, not like fireworks or burning passion, just right. Like being with her in this way was the only place she had truly ever belonged.  
Deciding to let the girl rest, Catra pulled the nearest blanket over the sleeping form and smiled.  
If it meant she could kiss her again, that they could become something more, she would be happy to ruin their friendship.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Them being able to finally express their feelings for each other in the finale made me so happy.


	24. I Never Could Stop Caring (When I Realized pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora tells Catra when she realized she loved her.

Catra placed her head on Adora’s shoulder as they watched the sunset. It had only been a couple of days since the end of the war, but the two had managed to be able slip away from camp and go on an evening picnic on top of a hill overlooking the Whispering Woods.  
“This is nice,” the blonde said.  
“Yeah, it really is,” the part-feline responded.  
Suddenly, the First One smiled dreamily.  
“What are you looking all dopey about?”  
“I was just thinking about the day I realized I loved you. It was when I was in space.”  
“It took you that long for you to figure out if you had feelings for me or not? Wow, yo I really are a dummy.”  
“No, I knew I had feelings for you when we were in the Horde. I wanted to kiss you and be with you, but I never let it get any deeper than that because I knew the Horde would never allow it. But while I was stranded on this planet with Glimmer and Bow when you were still with Prime, we ran into this group of siblings.  
“They said I should stay away from Horde Prime, that I needed to get as far away as I could from his ship. And I told them that I knew someone stuck on that ship, I was about to tell them it was someone I loved. I stopped myself because it was the first time I had admitted, even to myself, that I was completely and hopelessly in love with you. That was when I knew I was coming back for you, no matter what.”  
“There was a small part of me that hoped you would,” the former Horde leader admitted. “I didn’t regret saving Sparkles, not for a second, but as painful as it is to admit, I was scared. Not just of what he was doing to me, but also that I really had stopped mattering to you a long time ago.”  
“I never stopped caring about you, Catra. I never could and I never will.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter is about when Catra realized she loved Adora.


	25. It Had Always Been That Way (When I Realized pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra tells Adora when she realized she had never stopped loving her.

“So,” Adora said as they sat on the picnic blanket, “if you don’t mind me asking, when did you realize that you loved me?”  
“There was never really an exact moment for me,” Catra declared. “For me, it felt like it had always been that way. Loving you was like breathing, it was so easy to do. When you left the Horde, I thought I could just shut down my emotions, pretend that I didn’t love you and I never had. But I think you were always in the back of my mind.   
“I couldn’t ignore my feelings anymore when I found out that you were on that First One’s ship leaving Etheria, coming for Glimmer. I didn’t know exactly what Prime wanted to do with you, but I knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. And then, all of a sudden, I saw you in the hallway.”  
“Me?”  
“Well, not you exactly. Me and you when we were kids, laughing, playing together. And how you had said you were always going to be my friend. It all came back. How you had always tried to protect me, how you had fought so hard for us to be together in the rebellion. You truly were always my friend. And I had always loved you for it.”  
Adora’s heart melted and she couldn’t help but smile goofily.   
“Do you always have to look like that anytime I say something nice about you? It’s starting to get obnoxious.”  
“Not might fault you are a such a romantic. And this is nothing. Just wait til Glimmer and Bow hear about what you said about me.”  
The part-feline’s eyes went dark, “you say one word and your dead to me.”  
Without any warning, Adora took off sprinting towards the hideout. “Hey guys! Catra said loving me was as natural as breathing!”  
“Adora! You get back here!” She tackled the blonde and the two rolled down the hill, laughing all the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This was really fun to write!


	26. You’re My Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra celebrate one year of being together. Unfortunately, a lot of other stuff had also occurred on that day that gets celebrated right along with it.

“Hey, Adora. Adora, wake up.”  
The blond slowly opened her eyes to the sight of her girlfriend excitedly hovering over her.  
“Hey, Catra. Happy one year anniversary.”  
“Happy one year anniversary.”  
Exactly one year ago, Horde Prime has been defeated and the universe had been saved. But to Catra and Adora, this day meant so much more to them then that. It was the day they had finally admitted their feelings for each other and had gotten together.  
“So,” the First One said lazily, “what’s the plan for today?”  
“Well, I do have something for you that I’m going to give you later tonight.”  
“Same here.”  
“But I was thinking,” the part-feline said in a slow and sultry voice, purring, “that we could just stay in bed until then.”  
Adora smiled and leaned in to close the gap between their lips, but a rapid knocking at the door startled the two apart.  
“Wake up, sleepy heads,” Bow’s voice came through, “all the other princesses are ready to have our reunion breakfast!”  
“We’ll be down in a second,” Adora replied back, then sighed heavily once she heard him leave. “Guess getting together on the day the war ended wasn’t exactly the brightest idea.”  
“Do we have to go?”  
“We already promised Glimmer we would.”  
“No, you promised her without talking to me about it first.”   
“Catra, you don’t have to go, but I am. It’s so rare that we are all in the same place anymore.”  
The other woman groaned and got out of bed. “Fine, but I’m only going because I’m hungry.”  
“And you would miss me.”  
“That too. Now put your hair up in it’s silly poof and let’s go.”  
“Hey!”  
————————————————————  
Overall, the breakfast went well, with everyone laughing and catching up, telling stories about their new lives and recalling old ones.   
“Well, that was fun,” Adora mused.  
“That was long.”  
“Catra...” the blonde warned, silently pleading with her to be nice.  
“Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing everyone. But you have to admit it’s a lot to see them all at once and so early in the morning.”  
The First One grasped her girlfriend’s hand. “Yeah, it can be overwhelming. But it’s over, now we can just relax.”  
As if she had jinxed it, Glimmer suddenly teleported into the view and said, “Adora, I need to talk to you in private.”  
“Oh, okay,” the blonde said as she went over to the queen. Quickly, she turned her head to Catra and asked, “I’ll catch up with you in a little bit?”  
“Sure,” was all she could manage to say before the two women disappeared.  
————————————————————  
Catra was beginning to think that they wouldn’t be able to do anything at all for their anniversary. She couldn’t be with the love of her life for five minutes before someone pulled one of them, usually Adora, into meetings and conversations. Not exactly how she had pictured today going.  
Even though the part-feline had truly changed into a better person, she could still get very frustrated. And while she was not as bad of an actor as her girlfriend, she had yet to master the ability to hide her emotions.  
Bow could tell something was up just by her walking past him, fist clenched and tail spiked.  
“Um, Catra,” the master archer started nervously, “is everything okay?”  
“No, it isn’t. I just want to have one hour with my girlfriend to celebrate our anniversary, but of course this is the day where everyone needs one of us for something or other.”  
“Oh, right, it’s been one year since you guys kissed.”  
“Yes, Arrow Boy. Isn’t it also the same day for you and Sparkles?”  
“No, we’re celebrating the day after tomorrow, that’s when we decided to start dating.”  
“Well, consider yourselves lucky that you don’t have it on a busy day like this.”  
“I mean, my girlfriend is the queen. Everyday is kind of a busy day for her.”  
The part-feline slumped against a pillar and sighed heavily, her friend sitting next to her a few seconds later.  
“I love Adora,” the former Horde leader said, “so much.”  
“I know that, so does she. And she feels exactly the same way. You two will get to spend some quality time with each other.”  
“Oh really? When?”  
Bow smiled as he saw his girlfriend approaching them. “Might be sooner than you think.”  
“Okay,” Glimmer said, clasping her hands together as she smiled, “everything is all set up. Catra, you’re coming with me.”  
“I cannot take one more meeting, Sparkles.”  
“Well, that’s good, cause you have the rest of the night off.” Suddenly the sorceress grabbed the girl’s arm and teleported the two of them away.  
————————————————————  
Catra hated teleportation. It made her feel like she was everywhere and nowhere all at once, being stretched and compressed endlessly.   
Once she could feel solid ground underneath her, she immediately put her hands on the ground and groaned.  
“Glimmer! I told you to take the stairs with her.”  
“Well, that would’ve taken too long.”  
Once the world stopped spinning, the part-feline looked up and saw that they were on the roof of the Brightmoon castle. But there was something different about it. It had been decorated with flowers and candles, and a blanket was spread out with some of Catra’s favorite foods on it.  
And standing in the middle of it all was Adora, ponytail and all.  
“Hey,” the blonde said.  
“What is all of this?” Catra stood up and walked towards her girlfriend, hearing Glimmer disappear behind her.  
“I thought it would be nice to have an evening on the roof. You know, like we used to do in the Fright Zone.”  
“Is this what you’ve been doing all day?”  
“Not the whole day. I really did have a ton of meetings to go to, and had to break up a fight between Mermista and Perfuma. The rest of it was me planning this.”  
“Well, you’ve always been one for the grand romantic gestures.”  
The First One looked nervously into her partner’s eyes. “Do you like it?”  
“Of course I like it! Were you worried I wouldn’t?”  
“Maybe a little. You’re my person Catra, the one I want to be with forever. I just want to show you that, in all the ways I can.”  
“You have shown me,” the short-haired girl assured. “You have shown me time and time again. Thank you for putting this together.”  
“It was my pleasure. Now let’s eat! I am starving.”  
————————————————————  
“I’m going to give you my present now,” Adora said as she reached across the blanket and grabbed a small, velvet box.  
“Adora! This whole thing was enough of a gift.”  
“I know, I know. But I wanted to give you a special gift as well as a special memory.”  
Smiling, Catra took the box and carefully opened it, revealing a winged pin laying inside.  
“Isn’t this the pin you wear on your jacket.”  
“Yeah. Spinerella and Netossa explained to me that on Etheria, when couples are in a committed relationship, they exchange a really personal item for the other to wear, to symbolize their love for each other. I have your headpiece as She-ra, now you have my rebellion pin. That is, if you want it.”  
Rolling her eyes at her girlfriend’s insecurity, the smiling women clipped her new accessory onto her shirt.  
“Well, it’s a good thing that I’ve been carrying this around with me all day,” the part-feline said as she reached into her pocket and brought out a small box, “or else Glimmer would’ve brought me up here empty-handed.”  
“You know you never have to get me anything. Just getting to call you mine is enough.”  
“Hush you,” she said playfully, “If you get to get to do all this, then I get to give you something too. It’s only right. So, here.”  
The embodiment of She-ra opened the box and saw a beautiful necklace laying inside. A pendent displaying the new Sword of Protection lay dead center, the two lover’s names carved into the hilt in First One’s writing, just above of the image of the failsafe.  
“Oh, Catra. It’s beautiful.”  
“Entrapta helped, a lot actually. She’s very good at minor details and such.”  
Adora placed the piece of jewelry on her neck and smiled. “I love it.”  
“Happy anniversary, Adora.”  
“Happy anniversary, Catra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	27. Work Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora get a weighted blanket, so they decide to try it out.

“What is that?”   
“It’s a weighted blanket,” Bow said, holding it out to Catra and Adora. “We thought you guys might want one.”  
“It’s great for sleep,” Glimmer supplies, “it makes you feel like your being hugged the whole night through.”  
“Why would I want a blanket to hug me when I have Adora right there to do it?”  
“Come on Catra,” the blonde urged, “it’s a nice thought.” She took the blanket from Bow and immediately grunted. “Geez, how much does this thing weigh?”  
“Twenty pounds.”  
“Twenty pounds,” the part-feline shrieked. “That thing is going to crush us in our sleep!”  
“The weight is distributed throughout the whole blanket,” the queen said, “all you feel is a comforting pressure on you.”  
“Well,” the First One said, plopping it on top of her and Catra’s bed, “thanks for giving it to us. I’m sure it will work wonders.”  
Once the other couple left, the short-haired woman looked to her partner in all seriousness and said, “there is no way you can convincing me to sleep one night under that thing.”  
————————————————————  
Adora convinced her.  
“This is stupid,” Catra said as she climbed into bed later that night.  
“Just one night, that’s all I ask. After that, if we don’t like it, we will just tell Glimmer and Bow to keep it for themselves or something.”  
“Fine.”  
The two shared a kiss goodnight and the covers were pulled over them both, weighted blanket included.  
It definitely felt different than a regular blanket, Catra admitted. There was definitely pressure there, just like Glimmer had said there would be. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. It seemed to almost keep her grounded, making her feel comfortable and safe.  
She actually really liked it.  
In just a few minutes, she fell into peaceful sleep.  
————————————————————  
It was probably one of the best sleeps of her life.  
When she woke up, she saw that Adora was already dressed and standing in front of the mirror, tying her hair up in it’s usual fashion. The First One turned when she heard her girlfriend sit up in the bed, smiled and asked, “So, how did you like the weighted blanket?”  
The part-feline looked down at the cover and back up again, slowly blinking before saying, “I think I might love this thing more than you.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be fun to just do a silly little fic. I have a weighted blanket and I love it, so I thought why not give the characters one too.


	28. A Very Impatient Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora wants to kiss her girlfriend, despite the fact that her hair is soaking wet.

“Get away from me,” Catra yelped as she ran around the bedroom.  
“Come on,” Adora pleaded as she chased her girlfriend, still in her bathrobe, “it’s not that bad.”  
“You’re hair is dripping wet,” the part-feline said as she pointed to the trail of water that the blonde was leaving. “You are not getting near me while you’re like that.”  
“I just took a shower! What did you expect?”  
“For you to dry your hair after you’re done.”  
Eventually, the First One was able to catch the other woman, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and picking her up.  
“Ha! I won!”  
Her partner sighed in defeat, saying, “why can’t you just dry it.”  
“Because I want kisses now and I’m a very impatient person.”  
“If I give you a quick kiss, will you let me go.”  
“Maybe.”  
Still being locked in Adora’s arms, Catra turned her face around as much as she could and gave her a peck on the cheek.  
“There. Satisfied?”  
The blonde tilted her head and feigned consideration, then smiled wickedly and said, “nope.”  
The blonde then dumped the other on the bed and hopped in next to her, attacking her with tender kisses all over her face.  
“Adora, stop it,” the former Horde leader yelled, laughing the whole time, eventually returning the kisses and completely forgetting about everything that had happened before, lost in the moment.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	29. One Of The Best Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad hits the beach.

Bow couldn’t believe his eyes when Adora and Catra arrived at the beach.   
The blonde was wearing the same swimsuit she had worn to Mystacor, her hair up in a ponytail. But that wasn’t what shocked him.  
Catra in a bathing suit is what shocked him. It was a two-piece, very similar in style to her pajamas. A pair of sunglasses rested on top of her short hair.  
“Catra,” the master arched said with shock, “are you swimming with us?”  
“Ha, in your dreams Arrow Bow,” she said as she dropped her shades in front of her eyes, “I’m just wearing this for the aesthetic.”  
“Catra still hates the water,” Adora said, “but I told her that since she is part of the Best Friend Squad, she has to a least somewhat participate in Best Friend Squad Activities.”  
“Heck yeah you do,” Glimmer said as she spread her blanket out on the sand.  
“Yes yes, I get it. I came, I brought a beach chair and umbrella, so I will sit here and watch you three splash around in the water. Then we will have lunch, go home, and I can start picking the sand out from between my toes.”   
“Actually,” her girlfriend said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a plastic object, “I got you a raft!”  
The part-feline looked at the object with disdain. “And I need that because...”  
“So you can be in the water with us without getting wet!”  
“No.”  
The First One put on the best set of puppy dog eyes she could muster. “Please, Catra, it’ll be fun. And when it’s blown up, it looks like a kitten!”  
Glimmer looked at her confusingly, asking her, “where did you even find this?”  
“A merchant in Salineas was selling them. I thought it would be perfect for our day at the beach.”  
Catra sighed, “it’s doesn’t matter how hard I fight this does it? I’m getting on the raft whether I like it or not?”  
“That’s correct.”  
She shot her girlfriend a glare. “I never would’ve come here if I’d known you’d pull something like this.”  
“Why do you think I didn’t tell you until just now?”  
Thanks to the queen’s magic, the raft was blown up instantly. Once everyone had sat their stuff down, they went out to the water, Adora guiding the raft with Catra in it so it wouldn’t float away from the group.  
“It’s actually really warm,” Glimmer observed.  
“So,” the former Horde leader said dryly, “what exactly do we do now?”  
Bow started listing all the things they could do- swim around and talk, toss the ball around, look for seashells- when all of the sudden he got splashed with water.  
“Glimmer!”  
The sorceress happily shrugged and splashed him again.  
“Okay, it’s on!”  
Adora and Catra watched as the other couple kept splashing each other, Bow dunking the Glimmer fully underwater at one point.   
“You think they’ll stop anytime soon?”  
The short-haired girl shrugged, “As long as I’m not getting wet it’s not my pro- ahhh!”  
“Oops, sorry Catra! I was aiming for Bow.”  
The part-feline was in the middle of yelling when another wave of water hit, this time coming from right next to her.  
“Adora!”  
“What? You’re already wet.”  
“Alright, that’s it.” The woman shifted her body to the side closest to her girlfriend, causing the whole raft to shift suddenly and flip over, dropping her in the water.  
Everyone was already laughing wildly by the time she surfaced, the First One eye’s filling with tears. Catra leapt at her in the water, causing them both to go underneath the current.   
The next half hour was filled with splashing and laughter, each person trying to get the upper hand over all the others. Once they had had enough, the four of them went to dry off, Catra shaking the water off of her body.  
Adora smirked and placed a hand on her hip. “Bet you had more fun than you would’ve had just sitting on the beach.”  
“Let’s just eat.”  
“Be nice,” Glimmer said as she got out the sandwiches and fizzy beverages from the ice chest. “This was definitely better than the other time we went in the water together.”  
“Oh yeah,” Bow said, “that was bad.”  
The embodiment of She-ra looked at all of them, confused. “We never were in the water together.”  
“This happened when you were training with Light Hope and the two of us had captured Catra.”  
“You two didn’t capture me. You escaped my forces at Drill and I just happened to accidentally come along for the ride.”  
“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”  
“Okay, but how does that end up with you three in the water together?”  
The part-feline looked to her girlfriend. “Didn’t they tell you about it?”  
“That they had captured you and found out that Entrapta was willingly working with the Horde, yeah. But nothing about what happened while you were with them.”  
“They were probably just embarrassed that I outsmarted them so easily.”  
“Actually, in the end it was us who outsmarted you.”  
“Shush Sparkles, I’m telling the story.” As they ate, the former Horde leader than proceeded to narrate the whole event , with a few exaggerations.   
“Sounds like it was quite an adventure. Wish I could’ve been there.”  
“You didn’t miss much,” the queen said in between bites of her sandwich. “Besides, if you had come along it probably would’ve ended in you two kissing.”  
“We were still enemies at that time.”  
“Nah, she’s probably right,” the part-feline said, “even when we were on opposite sides, you still could never resist me.”  
“You’re the one who had to restrain yourself from purring every time we fought.”  
“I told you that in confidence!”  
The other couple laughed at the banter between the two women.  
Bow smiling at his three friends, “This is nice. Probably one of the best days I’ve ever had.”  
Everyone else couldn’t help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! It was nice to just write about our favorite Squad relaxing together and goofing off.


	30. Better Buckle Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora asks Glimmer if she really should be pursuing a relationship with Catra, and she finds out about a conversation they had while still aboard Mara’s ship.

Adora wasn’t sure what to make of yesterday.  
Everything seemed to have happened all at once. Horde Prime’s defeat, the healing of the planet, Catra....  
Catra had said she loved her. She had kissed her. It felt almost too good to be real.   
Maybe it was.  
The blonde needed some advice and it seemed like Glimmer was the best person to ask for it. She walked over to the sorceress, who was discussing with the General on how to best return to the Brightmoon castle.  
“Hey, Adora,” the queen smiled, “sleep well.”  
“Yeah, I guess so. Can I talk to you for a second?”  
“Of course.” Glimmer finished up her conversation with the General quickly and she walked with her friend to a few supply boxes, where the sat down. “What did you want to talk about?”  
The First One blushed. “Something happened yesterday.”  
“Between you and Catra?”  
Adora blinked. “Yeah, how did you know?”  
“Well, you two were standing on the cliff together, foreheads touching. Doesn’t take a genius to connect those dots. Also, Bow and I knew there was something going on between you two for a while.”  
“You did?”  
“Well, I’ve certainly never sat in your lap and purred. Was the something that happened a good something?”  
“We kissed. And said that we loved each other.”  
The embodiment of She-ra heard a loud squeal and was suddenly being hugged tightly.  
“This is so great!”  
“It is?”  
The girl with multi-colored hair drew back from the hug and looked at her friend questioningly. “It’s supposed to be. Don’t you have feelings for her?”  
“It’s not that simple. If we got together, it wouldn’t erase all the bad things that happened. What if jumping into this is a mistake?”  
“The past doesn’t have to prevent your future. And you’re not jumping into anything. You two were inseparable up until a few years ago. This has been a long time coming.”  
The blonde looked at her friend with intense pain in her eyes. “She’s the main reason you’re mother is gone. What kind of person would I be if I had a relationship with her?”  
“Adora, Catra and I talked about that a long time ago.”  
————————————————————  
It felt weird for Catra to be part of the group on the ship.   
Adora was right, she couldn’t just shut people out. She had to face the people she had hurt if anything was really going to change. But it felt wrong to be laughing and eating with them while she did it.  
Eventually, dinner was over and everyone had their own duties to attend to. Adora and Bow went to see if they could contact the rebellion back on Etheria, and Entrapta and Wrong Hordak went to make some repairs on Darla, which was apparently the ship’s name. That left the only people in the room being Glimmer and Catra.  
The part-feline stood a few feet away from the other, trying to make polite conversation. “The dinner was really good.”  
“Thanks. I learned how to make it from my mom.”  
The former Horde leader winced. It wasn’t the first time she had considered her part in the former queen’s disappearance. Before she had been taken by Horde Prime, she saw it as a good strategy, the only way to permanently weaken the Rebellion. But now, she just felt immense guilt. Something she deserved to feel.  
“I’m sorry about that. You know, what happened to Queen Angella.”  
Glimmer simply continued to pick up the dishes as she spoke evenly. “You know, Shadow Weaver taught me while she was staying in Brightmoon.”  
The part-feline flinched at the name of her former caretaker, but didn’t say anything.  
“She definitely was gifted at magic. And at manipulation.”  
“Yeah, she could give Horde Prime a run for his money.”  
“She never physically controlled me, not in the way Adora said she used to control you, but when I was with her I definitely felt like she was the answer to all my problems. That she could make me a stronger queen. Adora told me not to listen to her, but I thought she was just being paranoid. And then Shadow Weaver suggested using the Heart of Etheria. I figured she had been right before, why not this time. But it ended disastrously. And the second I stopped including her in my plans, she questioned all my decisions.”  
“Doesn’t surprise me. She loves to make people feel like they are lost without her.”  
The queen put her arm on the other’s shoulder. “I can’t imagine what it was like to live with her under her for so long.”  
“It’s no excuse for what I did.”  
“True, but it does offer some sort of an explanation. When your made to feel like nothing, you’ll do desperate to be known for anything.”  
Catra blinked back tears. “How do you know all this?”  
“My mom was an amazing woman and an excellent queen. Being her daughter had it’s drawbacks. I never felt I would be as strong as her, as clear-headed and in charge as she was. Everything felt like a test I needed to pass to prove myself to her.  
“When she vanished in the portal, I felt that pressure even more. Make no mistake Catra, what you did was reckless and selfish. You hurt not just me, but thousands of people, including Adora, the one you say you’re trying to help.”  
The woman looked down in shame, her ears drooping. “What I did was unforgivable, but I hope you know how truly sorry I am.”  
“You should be,” the sorceress said, then sighed. “But you also saved me. Saved all of us by getting me out of Horde Prime’s ship. I’m not going to pretend to forgive you, but I’m willing to give you a second chance. That’s something both my mother and I believe in.”  
————————————————————  
“So,” Adora said after she heard the whole story, “things are okay between you and Catra?”  
“I wouldn’t say we are fully past everything that has happened, maybe we will never be. But we’ve made progress.”  
“I can’t believe I knew nothing about this.”  
“Well, I wasn’t sure how much Catra wanted you to know. And it’s not like we are living in a story that’s all about you. People can have their own private conversations.  
“Adora, if being with Catra is something you want, I fully support it. She really has changed. She’s helped us in ways I could never have imagined. I want you to be happy, and I think she’s a vital part of that happiness.”  
The blonde bit her lip.  
“Is there something else that stopping you?”  
“What if she doesn’t feel the same way as she did yesterday? I was about to die, the universe was about to be obliterated. What if it was a ‘heat of the moment’ kind of thing for her?”  
Glimmer rolled her eyes. “She literally jumped into fire for you. Just go talk to her.”  
Nodding, the First One stood up and walked over to Catra, who was a few yards away, moving supplies from one side of the hideout to the other. When she saw the other girl approaching, she immediately stopped what she was doing and met her halfway. While the queen couldn’t hear all the words that were said, everyone in the whole place could clearly see the kiss that it ended with.   
Glimmer sighed, figuring this would definitely not be the last time her clueless friend asked her for relationship advice. She better buckle up.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely feel like even if Adora forgave Catra for everything that happened, she wouldn’t feel comfortable being with her if Glimmer wasn’t okay with it. I wish we had seen them have a real conversation about Angella, so I like to imagine they did and we just weren’t privy to it. As always, thanks for reading!


	31. We’re Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow and Glimmer have some news to tell the rest of the Best Friend Squad.

“I just hope she takes it well,” Bow said as they walked into the direction of the sleeping area.  
“Adora will be fine,” Glimmer assured him, holding his hand. “She has Catra now and it’s not like we are breaking up the Best Friend Squad, just changing the dynamics of it.”  
Bow smiled at the queen and pulled back the curtain, only to find the couple they were looking for wrapped in each other’s arms.  
When Adora noticed her two friends awkwardly staring at them, she immediately pulled away from Catra and quickly started, “hey guys! Didn’t expect to see you guys back so soon. We weren’t doing much, just um-“  
“Kissing,” the part-feline said nonchalantly, “we were kissing.”  
“Catra!”  
“What? I’m finally able to kiss you like I’ve always wanted, I’m certainly not going to stop every time Sparkles and Arrow Boy come around.”  
“It’s fine,” Glimmer said as she and the master archer sat across from the other two. “We have something to tell you both.” The queen took the boy’s hand and happily announced, “we’re together.”  
The former Horde leader rolled her eyes. “Obviously your together.”  
“Yeah, you guys were friends before I even joined the Rebellion. Obviously you guys are doing stuff together.”  
“Adora, she means their dating.”  
The blonde looked at her girlfriend as if she was clueless, than looked at her friends, who were only nodded in agreement with what the other had just said.   
“What? How long has this been going on?”  
“Not long,” Bow insisted, “we said we loved each other a few days ago, during the fight against Horde Prime, and decided this morning that we were going to start dating.”  
“Wait,” Catra said as she held up her hand, “you two haven’t been dating this whole time? Even though it was so obvious you had feelings for each other? Gosh, how was I ever loosing to you bunch of clueless rebels!”  
“I could say the same thing about you and Adora!”  
“Nope. Me and her were on different sides, thus delaying us getting together. You two have no such excuse.”  
The First One yelled, “okay, can we jump back to the part where you two are a couple now!”  
“It wasn’t something we planned,” the sorceress said, “it just sort of happened.”  
The son of Lance and George stepped in. “We want you to know that this changes nothing. Just because we are together now doesn’t mean we care about you guys any less or the Best Friend Squad isn’t about us all being together anymore. We still want the four of us to hang out and go on missions as we had planned. I know this is a shock, but I hope you two can be happy for us.”  
Adora smiled, “of course I’m happy for you. It just kind of caught me off guard, that’s all. I’m so happy that you two found each other.”   
The embodiment of She-ra went over and gave the new couple a big hug. A few seconds later, the part-feline joined in.  
“I’m happy for you guys, too. But good luck Bow.”  
“With what?”  
“With King Micah. Now you’re not just his daughter’s friend. You’re her boyfriend.”  
Bow’s eyes went wide in panic.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	32. The Adult She’s Become

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Micah isn’t sure how to feel about his daughter being in a relationship.

“Well, it was nice knowing you, Arrow Boy.”  
“Catra,” Adora scolded as she elbowed her girlfriend in the ribs, “be nice. You’re not helping the situation.”  
“What? I said ‘it was nice knowing you’. I could’ve said ‘I’m glad I got to throw you off a cliff before you died,’ but I didn’t.”  
“Ah, yes. Such character growth.”  
Bow continued to pace around the room, causing the blonde to stop him and grab his shoulders.  
“She’s just kidding. It’s going to be fine. Glimmer isn’t a little girl anymore, it’s okay for her to have a boyfriend. Micah will understand that.”   
“Just a few months ago, he thought it was dangerous for her to have use his sorcerer staff. I wouldn’t count on him being supportive of this.”  
A few minutes later, Glimmer walked into the room, immediately hounded with questions from her boyfriend.  
“Did you tell him? Was he okay with it? Do I have to relocate to another planet if I am to have any hope of survival?”  
“I heard Krytis is nice this time of year.”  
“Once again, not helping Catra!”  
The queen simply shrugged. “He took it fine. Said that he wasn’t all that surprised and he’s excited for the two of us.”  
The panic on the archer’s face was replaced with confusion. “Really?”  
“Really.”  
Adora put her arm around her friend. “See, Bow, you had nothing to worry about.”  
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess you’re right.”  
The rest of the day continued on as usual. The Alliance was starting to reach out to all the kingdom’s to see who was in need of aid, and the hideout was filled with discussions on when each princess could return to her castle. Nothing seemed to have changed by the morning’s events.  
That was until Micah approached Adora as she was chopping firewood.  
“Oh, hello your majesty,” the blonde said once she noticed his presence. “Is there something I can help you with?”  
The king looked around to make sure no one could hear. “If I ask you something, do you promise not to tell Glimmer about what we discussed?”  
That caused the embodiment of She-ra to stop what she was doing and turn to the man. “I guess, as long as it’s not something that could negatively affect her.”  
“What did Angie think of Bow?”  
“What did Queen Angella think of Bow? Oh, she loved him. He was always respectful to her and Glimmer. Trusted him with her daughter’s life countless times.”  
“So, you think she would approve of the two of them dating?”  
She gave a sad smile. “Yeah, I think she would.”  
The sorcerer breathed a heavy, “I told her I was fine with it, but I’m not sure if I am. I’m just starting to get to know Glimmer as the adult she’s become. Angella was the one who raised her, saw who she grew up to be. I just got her back and all of the sudden, this huge change comes my way.”  
“She didn’t have to tell you about her and Bow. The fact that she did shows that she wants a relationship with you. And that you and Bow are so important to her that she wants you both to be a big part of her life.  
“My advice: get to know Bow. He’s a really great person who knows more about your daughter than anyone else on Etheria, and probably one of the very few people who care about her as much as you do.”  
Micah smiled, “my daughter is lucky to have such great friends.”  
“We are lucky to have her as well.”  
Adora returned to her chore as the king walked to the other side of their camp and approached Bow.  
The master archer stood up straight and did an awkward salute, “greetings, your majesty.”  
The sorcerer waved his hand. “None of that. I just wanted to say that I’m happy you and my daughter have found each other. I would like to get to know you better, maybe the three of us could all have lunch together once we are back at the castle.”  
The young man relaxed at those words. “I think we can arrange that.”  
The older man smiled, then showed a look of seriousness in his expression. “But if you ever hurt my baby girl, I will turn you into a toad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’m so happy that Glimmer not only has Bow to rely upon, but she’s also getting to build a relationship with her dad.


	33. Honestly About Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer asks Adora how it was sleeping with Catra in the Brightmoon Castle.

“So,” Glimmer said with a smirk as she picked up a piece of fruit and plopped it into her mouth, sitting in her bedroom with her friend. “How was your first night with Catra?”  
“It wasn’t our first night. We slept in the same bed throughout our whole time in the Horde. And right next to each other in the hideout.”  
“Yeah, but this is different. No other people around, the two of you are a couple. That changes things big time.”  
“Not for us.”  
“Mhm.”  
Adora blushed and picked at her own plate. “Okay, maybe it was different.”  
“Better?”  
“Definitely,” she said with a dreamy smile. “I had a nightmare. Horde Prime was attacking and everything was out of control. And then I woke up and Catra was just... there. Ready to do whatever was needed for me to feel better. Next thing I knew, I was falling asleep in her arms.”  
“Dang. You got it bad.”  
The blonde desperately wanted to change the subject. “What about you and Bow? You two sleeping in the same room?”  
“Stars no. I love him, but we are taking things slow. Also, his snores sound like an avalanche. I’d like to get a few more restful nights under my belt before we do anything like that.”  
“Can’t argue with logic like that.” The First One ate a spoonful of yogurt and smiled at her friend. “Things are really starting to look up, aren’t they?”  
“It’s honestly about time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, 10k views. I’m blown away by everyone’s support and love for these characters. While I still have a few prompts I want to write sometime, I would really appreciate any ideas you guys had about what you would want to read. After all, I don’t think I would’ve worked on this project this much and fell in love with it so fast if it weren’t for all of you guys cheering me on. Just let me know in the comments. As always, thank you so much for reading!


	34. Typical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra attends one of Perfuma’s flower crown workshops.

“I feel ridiculous,” Catra said as she pricked her thumb on yet another thorn.  
Adora, on the other hand, was sitting right next to her, weaving like a master. “It takes a couple workshops, but you’ll get the hang of it.”  
“I don’t want to get the hang of it.”  
“I made a hat!” Everyone looked to see that Bow had made a hat out of pink, blue, and white flowers. He was proudly holding it up and everyone seemed to be impressed with it, especially Glimmer.  
The part-feline shouted as another thorn pricked her.  
“You know you can strip the thorns with these clippers,” the blonde said as she held out the tool to her girlfriend.  
“No. As a matter of fact, I did not know that. Would’ve been nice if someone had mentioned that.”  
“That was literally the first thing Perfuma said in her instructions.”   
“Well, it was a mistake on your part to think I was paying attention.”  
“Done,” the First One said as she sat her creation on the ground, a chain of white daisies that formed into a crown. Catra had to admit, it was pretty impressive.  
“How are you so good at this?”  
“Oh, believe me,” Glimmer chimed in, “for a long time she wasn’t.”  
“Glimmer, let’s not talk about that.”  
“No no,” Catra said as she leaned closer to the queen. “Do tell, Sparkles.”  
“Well, the first time we came to Perfuma’s flower crown workshop, it was just after the battle of Brightmoon. Adora was so excited to try it, she had saw people doing it at a festival and had said it looked like fun. She listened intently to all the instructions.”  
“Typical Adora.”  
“I know, right? But she couldn’t figure out how to get all the flowers to hold together. She eventually just started yelling at the flowers, saying ‘why can’t you be what I want you to be!’ We came back three times, but it seemed hopeless.”  
“So how is she so good at it now?”  
Adora looked intensely at her friend, slicing her hand over her neck.  
The sorceress ignored her. “One time, in the middle of the night, me and Bow found her up in her room, sitting on the floor with flowers strewn everywhere. Her tongue was sticking out, like it always does when she’s hyper-focused, and she said that she wasn’t going to bed until she figured it out. The next morning, she came out with a perfect flower crown and dark circles under her eyes.”  
The former Horde leader shook her head. Typical Adora, always feeling like she has to be perfect at everything, even something as trivial as making a flower crown. While Catra wished she wasn’t so hard on herself, she knew that once her girlfriend had her heart set on completing something, she would stop at nothing to finish the job.   
It was both her most admirable and most frustrating quality all at the same time.  
“Okay,” Perfuma said as she stood up at the head of the group, “that’s all the time we have for today. See you next session! I hope your journey is filled with peace and harmony.”  
Catra immediately stood up, abandoning her supplies. “You know what I love most about not being with the Horde anymore? If I don’t want to do something, I just stop doing it.”  
The queen rolled her eyes and stood up with Bow, the two of them heading off on their own for a quiet walk in the Whispering Woods.  
“Thanks for trying this for me,” the blonde said to her partner. “I know this isn’t really your kind of thing.”  
“Eh, you never know until you try. But what I’m really interested in is that drum circle I keep hearing about.”  
“Really?”  
“Of course. I love hitting things.”  
Adora rolled her eyes and took the other’s hand, starting the journey back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	35. In The End, All I Really Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora tells Catra about the vision she had while they were at the Heart.

“You know I had a dream about you,” Adora said as held her girlfriend in her arms during one of the first few nights back at Brightmoon, “while we were at the Heart.”  
“Oh really,” Catra replied lazily. “What was it about?”  
“We were older, about to attend Scorpia’s first time hosting Princess Prom. You and Glimmer were fighting about you not letting her brush your hair.”  
“Good to know I don’t change that much over the years. Tell me my outfit at least looked good.”  
The blonde smiled. “Yeah, we were matching. I was wearing some white, billowing dress and you were wearing an off shoulder cape to match.”  
“A cape huh? Never thought of that. Could be an interesting fashion statement.”  
“You had asked me what I wanted and then Mara asked me the same thing before that First One monster attacked. I guess I had been trying to fight it because I thought I had a destiny to fulfill, but in the end, all I really wanted was a life with you.”  
The part-feline snuggled closer to the other women. “In the end, all I really wanted was for you to want a life with me.”  
Adora kissed her girlfriend’s forehead. “This is better than any dream I could’ve come up with.”  
Catra hummed in agreement, too tired to continue talking. She could feel herself drifting away, but before she fell asleep, she made sure to mouth the words “love you.”  
The blonde let out a small chuckle. “Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am working on a longer chapter, but like Catra, I can feel myself growing really tired, so I’ll try to finish it up tomorrow and post it then. Thanks you so much for continuing to read this fic, this fandom is truly amazing!


	36. Live With That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra attend Mermista’s birthday party.

“I still think this is a horrible idea,” Catra called to her girlfriend as she finished zipping up her jumpsuit, the same one she had worn to her and Adora’s first date night. “Me and Mermista haven’t exactly made peace yet. In fact, we haven’t even really talked since I joined the rebellion, what with her being chipped in the beginning. And I did lead the invasion that destroyed her entire kingdom. Do you really think me going to her birthday party is the best course of action?”  
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” the blonde said as she sat on their bed, putting on her shoes. “The invite clearly said ‘Adora and Catra.’ If she hadn’t felt comfortable about you coming, she wouldn’t have addressed it to you as well. It would’ve been just me or a plus one.”  
“I thought you princesses were all about kindness and love.”  
“Mermista is kind and loving, but she doesn’t let her feelings get tossed aside just so she can appear that way. Trust me, she’s okay with you being there.”  
The part-feline was still nervous. “I hope she at least likes the gift we got her.”  
“I’m sure she’ll love it. Who wouldn’t want an all-expenses paid vacation to Mystacor?”  
“It’s certainly better than your stun baton idea.”  
“We all have our strengths. I am willing to admit that picking out birthday gifts is not one of mine.”  
“Okay, lovebirds,” Glimmer said as she burst open the bedroom doors with Bow at her sides. “We got to get a move on. And we are already running late, so it looks like we are teleporting there.”  
Catra groaned, “do we have to?”  
“Yes. Maybe if the two of you had been quicker at getting ready, we could’ve flown on Swift Wind. But you didn’t, so here we are.”  
“Don’t pretend you weren’t getting all dolled up too, Sparkles,” she said as she grabbed the queen’s hand.   
Together, the four of them teleported to Salineas, landing right in front of the castle’s entrance. Adora immediately wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, allowing her to stabilize herself after a few seconds.  
“Well,” the part-feline said, her vision coming back to her, “let’s get this over with.”  
Bow practically started running up the stairs. “Get this over with? Are you kidding! This is gonna be an awesome night.”  
“I am glad that birthday parties don’t have as many rules as Princess Prom,” the blonde added.  
“Okay, this whole concept is still a little fuzzy to me. So I get that you were born on the day you celebrate, but why celebrate it at all? To congratulate you for not dying in the past year?”  
“There’s more to it then that. It’s supposed to celebrate how you’ve grown throughout the year, a day to congratulate you just for being the amazing person you are.”  
“Wow. We definitely would’ve never had anything like that in the Horde.”  
Adora practically jumped up and down. “Which is why it’s so exciting we get to do stuff like this now!”  
A small smile appeared on Catra’s face and she silently admitted to herself that even if the rest of the night was filled with awkward conversations and terrible music, the joy it brought to her girlfriend right now would’ve made it all worth it.  
But as the group entered the ball room, it dawned on her that she had nothing to worry about. The room had been decorated to the fullest extent, with a huge gift table and rows and rows of food available for guests to enjoy. The party seemed to already be in full swing, with people on the dance floor swaying to the music. The lady of the hour, Mermista, was seated on her throne greeting the guests nonchalantly.  
“Let’s to say hi.”  
“You go,” Catra said hastily, “I’m gonna go get some food. Tell her I said happy birthday.”  
Adora decided not to push. “Okay, we will meet back up with you in a little bit.”  
True to her word, the former Horde leader headed in the direction of the buffet. There, she spotted a very familiar face in a very familiar black dress, stuffing her face with food.  
“Hey Scorpia.”  
“Catra,” the princess shouted as she enveloped the woman in a tight hug. “It’s been forever since I’ve seen you!”  
“We literally saw each other three days ago.”  
“Like I said, forever.”  
“Did you come alone?”  
“Oh, no. Perfuma’s around her somewhere. She wanted to make the rounds. I wanted to check out the food. You should have some, it’s super good.”  
Catra grabbed herself a plate and started to pick out some of the dishes she thought looked and smelled good.  
“So, where’s Adora?”  
“She’s giving her best to Mermista right now. I thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go, given the circumstances.”  
Scorpia simply blinked, needing more clarification.  
“You know, the circumstances where I conquered her kingdom.”  
“Oh, yeah, that did happen. Geez, that feels like forever ago.”  
“I don’t think the water princess will see it that way.”  
“You’ve changed, we all see it.”  
“Changing isn’t good enough. It doesn’t take back what I did. The other princesses might be able to forgive me, but it’s perfectly understandable that Mermista might not be.”  
“Understandable that Mermista might not be what?”  
The two Alliance members turned around to see the host of the party standing before them, arms crossed.  
Scorpia smiled nervously. “Uh, I think I see Perfuma calling me over. I better go make sure she doesn’t need something,” she said as she darted away.  
Mermista just continued to stare at the part-feline. “When Adora said that you were at the food table, I figured I better go find out why you didn’t come with her to say hi.”  
The former Horde leader gulped. “I figured you wouldn’t want me to. We aren’t exactly friends.”  
“True, but you are dating one of my friends.”  
“And that’s the only reason you invited me. So why don’t we just leave it at that.”  
“That’s not the only reason I invited you.”  
She raised an eyebrow. “It’s not?”  
“I thought it would be good for us to talk, face to face.”  
“You sure you wouldn’t rather just punch me? Frosta says it’s cathartic.”  
Mermista smirked.  
“Listen,” Catra sighed, “I’m sorry I destroyed your kingdom.”  
“I’m sorry I almost drowned you in the Fright Zone.”  
“You don’t have to be, you were chipped. It’s not like you had a choice.”  
The water princess looked the other woman up and down. “You were a terrible person, you know that right?”  
“Yeah, I do.”  
“But you did save Glimmer. And the universe by kissing Adora at the Heart.”  
“You know about that?”  
“Everyone does. Adora told Sea Hawk, who then turned it into a shanty and played it for everyone.”  
“Wonderful,” The part-feline said sarcastically.  
“I don’t think I can ever be close friends with you, not after all the people you hurt in Salineas. But I can’t exactly call you my enemy either. So, let’s just settle on acquaintances for the time being.”  
“I can live with that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Fun fact: me and Mermista have back-to-back birthdays! She’s a day ahead of me.


	37. You Are Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora feels she is useless, so Catra has her friends remind her that she’s not.

It seemed to Catra that these Alliance meetings got duller by the minute.  
The adrenaline rush of the war finally being over carried them through the first few. Everyone was ecstatic to give an update on the progress of their kingdom, and everyone would sit back and small talk once it had formally ended. Now, after several months of peace under their belt, these weekly events seemed to bore everyone, especially given the fact that they took place so early in the morning.   
Well, everyone except Adora, who was permanently a strategist at heart.  
The blonde was currently hovering over the holographic map, studying it intently while also listening to the water princess.  
“It appears that certain factions of Horde soldiers aren’t surrendering and continue to harass the coastal towns of Salineas. It seems like they figured that since Horde Prime is now gone, they can just pick up right where the Horde left off.  
“I’m handling it,” Mermista assured. “We are sending negotiators to try to reach an agreement with them. Get them to stop fighting and maybe help them better integrate into regular Etherian society.”  
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just send me as She-ra? Everyone in the region has been offered a chance to surrender peacefully and be transported back to the former Fright Zone to help them build new lives. If they didn’t take it that’s on them. It’ll be a lot faster to just fight them off.”  
“Maybe in the short-term,” the Glimmer started, “but then we are just instigating more violence. We need them to know we don’t want to keep fighting. Besides, it is Mermista’s kingdom. She knows how to handle it best. I suggest we go along with her plan.”  
The First One only gave a slight nod.  
“Okay,” the queen said, “if that’s all for Salineas, then I guess Perfuma is up. How’s Plumeria doing?”  
“Everyone seems to be safe and food is more abundant than ever thanks to She-ra healing the planet. Our main problem is a lack of shelter. A lot of homes were destroyed during Prime’s invasion. We are rebuilding, but it would be nice to have more tents and blankets, especially for the sick and elderly.”  
“We could give you the supplies we used while we were staying at the hideout,” Adora offered. “I can go to make sure it gets to you safely.”  
Bow chimed in, “Adora, that’s very nice of you, but it’s not necessary. Now that their is no war, transportation of aide between kingdoms is super easy. Don’t worry about it, I can take them over to Plumeria later this week.”  
Catra noticed that all her girlfriend did was sit back in her chair and let the meeting continue on with her giving little input. Once the meeting was over, the blonde was one of the first out of the room, heading in the direction of her own.  
The part-feline followed her companion and found her sitting on the bed, looking lost.  
“You okay, sweetie?”  
“I don’t understand why I’m so upset.” The First One sounded almost as if she was really talking to herself. “This is what I had been working towards for years. A world where She-ra wasn’t needed. But I feel that I’m now useless.”  
“You are not useless, you have to know that. You heard Perfuma, because of you everyone has plenty of natural recourses available to them, not to mention that it’s only because of you that they’re alive to enjoy it.”  
“But that was stuff I did in the past. I can’t shake the feeling that I should always be doing something. If I am not helping other people, I don’t have value.”  
“You always have value. To me and so many others. Remember what Mara told you?”  
Adora sighed, “that I’m worth more than what I can give to other people.  
“Logically, I know she’s right. And logically, I know that my friends are my friends because they want to be. But my brain still keeps telling me that they’ll only want me as long as I’m of use to them. That you’ll only love me as long as I’m of use to you.”  
“Adora you are enough for me. You were enough for me before She-ra was even a part of your identity and you’ll be enough for me for the rest of our lives.  
“You don’t have to say anything right now. It’s okay to just be sad and upset. Letting go of the tendencies the Horde drilled into you is going to take time.”  
The blonde simply buried her face in her partner’s shoulder and cried.   
————————————————————  
“Okay, Catra,” Bow said as he rubbed his eyes, “you are one of my best friends, but in the entire universe why did you make us stay up this late?”  
“Yeah,” Glimmer agreed with a yawn.  
“I did it because I didn’t want Adora to stumble upon us all talking about her behind her back and get the wrong idea.”  
That seemed to wake the Master Archer up. “What’s going on with Adora?”  
“She’s been upset all day. She thinks that people are going to stop being her friend once the figure out she can’t do things for them, like she did during the war.”  
“But that’s crazy,” the queen said. “She still helps us out a lot. And even if she didn’t, that wouldn’t change how we feel about her. She must know how much we love her.”  
“She does, but I think she’s spent so much time under the Horde’s teachings that they aren’t allowing her to clearly see that. For so long she was working to please Hordak and Shadow Weaver, then after that it was to save the world and entire universe. Now that I’ve made her take a step back from healing planets, it’s almost as if she’s lost all sense of what makes her special, unrelated to helping others.”  
“We’ve just been trying to let her take a break, let her no she doesn’t have to do everything.”  
“I know, no one is to blame for this. But we can’t just do nothing.”  
“So what do we do? Let her go on more space missions again?”  
“No, that’ll only last for so long and allow her to keep thinking like this. I know nothing we can do or say can fix everything, this is going to take years of hard work on Adora’s part, but I think we should at least try to help. I have an idea I’ve been putting off until now.”  
“Well? Let’s hear it!”  
The brunette took a deep breathe before she said, “I think we should throw her a surprise birthday party.”  
The other two were immediately overtaken with confusion.  
“But,” Bow said tentatively, “Adora doesn’t have a birthday.”  
“A couple months ago, I was helping Scorpia look through old Horde files and I found hers. It had the date Hordak found her on it, when she came through the portal. It’s coming up, next week in fact. Not the day she was born, but as close as we will get.”  
The young man asked her, “I’m all for a party but how exactly is this supposed to help?”  
Catra turned to Glimmer, “you told me a while ago that birthday’s were a way to celebrate a person for just being who they are. I think that’s what she needs. A reminder that her just being her is special. Every single party she’s ever been thrown has always been about what’s she’s done, usually as She-ra. Heck, even in the portal reality the party she got was about her taking Thaymor. This will be a day just about her, nothing She-ra or hero related at all.”  
The sorceress sighed, “it’s sweet you want to do this, really Catra. But planning a party takes time, usually a lot longer than a week. And you have to give people notice so they can clear their schedule and pick out a gift and-“  
“This is for Adora. Trust me, they’ll make it work for her. I’ll do most of the planning and don’t worry about people having to get gifts. We aren’t doing it like that.”  
Bows jaw dropped. “We aren’t!”  
“No, we are not. I have an idea, and it’ll start with you two.”  
————————————————————  
“Catra, I really have to start my training for the day.”  
“Come on, Adora,” the part-feline said as she pulled the other down the long hallway. “Don’t you want to be with me?”  
“Of course I do. But we can always kiss later. And in private.”  
“Where’s the fun in that? Remember how much fun it was to sneak around in the Fright Zone? Playing tricks on Kyle, hiding from Octavia. You don’t get that kind of excitement from following a strict routine. Bend the rules a little.”  
The blonde smirked. She would really like to kiss her girlfriend. “Okay. But just this once! I mean it, Catra. Don’t think you can just come get me to sneak away with you whenever you feel like it.”  
“Of course,” she replied as she started opening the door to the ballroom. “I just thought just this once. It’s not like your birthday happens everyday.”  
The woman’s forehead crinkled in confusion. “My what?”   
Suddenly, she noticed that she had walked into a room packed with people, all shouting, “surprise!”  
“What is all this?”  
“Your birthday party, silly,” Bow said as he placed a floral crown on her head.  
“But I don’t have a birthday.”  
“You do now,” Catra said as she put her hand on the First One’s shoulder. “We decided since everyone else has one, you should too.”  
“You guys, this is all too- is that a me cake!?” On the center table stood a multilayered cake, made to look like Adora, red jacket and all.   
“Yes, it is. You don’t get to have any of it until you have some real food.”  
Adora pouted but headed toward the buffet, greeted by all the other princesses.   
The party lasted for several hours, filled with laughter, games and, the last part of the evening, dancing.  
“Why do I have a feeling you had a huge part in this,” Adora said as she slow-danced with her girlfriend.  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Your intuitive skills must be degrading on you.”  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re an amazing person, Adora, I’ll do whatever it takes to help you see that.”  
The music stopped and Glimmer approached the First One, carrying a large, clear jar filled to the brim with rolled up notes.  
“Adora, you have done a lot for me, for all of us. But you mean so much more to us than just that. We know that is something you can sometimes have a hard time seeing, so instead of presents, Catra had us all write down the things we love about you. Not as She-ra, not as someone who fixes our problems, but as the amazing person you are. Hopefully they can help remind you how much you brighten up our lives when we can’t.”  
Adora took the jar, tears starting to fill her eyes, grateful for all the people in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Adora’s birthday was a while ago, but I couldn’t resist. Got to admit, writing this made me tear up. I relate to Adora a lot in the sense that we both often feel we exist to help others and that if we aren’t doing that, there’s no point. One of my friends gave me a quote jar similar to what Adora got in this chapter, and it helped remind me that I am worth more than what I can give to other people. Maybe it can do the same for her.


	38. Messages From Those Who Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at ten of the messages Adora received on her birthday.

**From:** **Spinerella** **and Netossa**

Adora,

We are so happy that we got to share your first birthday with you. We hope you know how much you mean to us. We love when you come to our game nights, as it ensures Catra is going to lose due to your terrible acting, which we also love. Know that you are welcome in our home anytime, you already have a place in our hearts.

**From: Lance and George**

Greetings Adora,

We were sorry that we couldn’t attend the party, but we wanted to let you know how proud we are of you. You supported Bow when we didn’t have the understanding to, and for that we will always be grateful. Our son has found a true, caring friend,who will do anything for him, even pretend to major in five different subjects at a made up boarding school. You are an integral piece of our family.

**From: Princess Frosta**

Adora,

The thing I love most about you is your inclusiveness. Despite my young age, you have never seen me as a hidderence. I was included in your plans and you saw me as a powerful ally. You understand that people are capable of great strength and great goodness. I hope your special day was all you had dreamed of.

**From: Princess Perfuma**

Salutations Adora,

I hope that when you are reading this, your life is filled with peace and harmony. If it isn’t, I hope you know this planet is filled with people who you can turn to for help, and that’s because of your caring soul. You don’t want to hurt others and avoid it at all costs. You respect life, even when it doesn’t do the same for you. You taught me that a part of caring is standing up for what you believe in, even when it requires a tough fight. Use this time to fight for the new life you get to have with the ones you love.

**From: Princess Mermista**

Adora,

You have always been an excellent leader and strategist. You have a drive that makes you never give up not on goals, not on people, not on yourself. Now, you get to finally use that gift of yours to achieve your dreams, everything you’ve ever wanted. I know you won’t let anything stop you.

**From: Scorpia**

Hello Adora,

It seems so strange to me less than a year ago, you were one of my biggest enemies. For a long time I was jelous of you for having such a unique bond with Catra, but now that I’ve gotten to know you, I know she had no choice but to fall in love. You look out for people, even when they can’t see it at the moment. Having done it myself, I now realize how hard it was for you to leave everything you had known behind. I admire your steadfastness to doing what’s right and wish you and Catra all the happiness possible in your new life together.

**From: Swift Wind (transcribed by Bow)**

Did someone say Swift Wind!

Adora, even though you’re tenacity and power during a fight always amazes me, it’s what you do off the battlefield that truly blows me away. I’ve never met anyone as courageous as you. Having a sacred connection to you, I know that rejection is one of your deepest fears, but you managed to push past that and let others know how you feel. Now, you are reaping the rewards. I’m available for loop de loops anytime, and I’ll always be your loyal steed.

**From: Master Archer Bow**

Greetings Adora,

When you came to Brightmoon, you filled a void for me and Glimmer that we didn’t even know we had. Your curiosity helps me see the little joys in life everyday. You have so much love to give and you give it with all you have. You are always there for others when they need you the most, and it's okay for you to need us too. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the Best Friend Squad, and at the end of the day you are at the heart of it.

**From: Queen Glimmer**

Adora,

You’ve helped me in some of my darkest times. Without even trying, you taught me about forgiveness and that it’s okay to ask for help. When Bow and I couldn’t see eye to eye, both at Princess Prom and in space, you helped us put the pieces back together. You showed me that’s it’s okay to make room for more friends, and now it seems like we have more friends than we can count! I hope you know I’m always there for you. 

**From: Catra**

Hey Adora,

When we were in the Crystal Castle together, I told you that you leaving was the best thing that had ever happened. And I stand by that, even though it’s for different reasons now. I think it took loosing you for me to figure out how much you mattered to me. I’m grateful that once again, I get to spend my days going on adventures with you, and my nights wrapped in your embrace. You see the best in people and if it isn’t there, you create it. You are so much more than my partner. You are the love of my life, a reminder everyday of why life is worth living. You didn’t give up on me, even when I gave up on myself. Don’t you ever think I won’t do the same for you, and don’t ever forget how special you are. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked and I hope I was able to deliver! As always, thanks for reading.


	39. I’ll Bury Mine If You Bury Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An object finds it’s way back to Catra and it brings up painful memories.

Catra could tell something was wrong when Entrapta and Scorpia returned from Horde Prime’s ship.  
They both seemed distant, a little hesitant to return to camp. Still, they slowly made their way over to the part-feline.  
Adora seemed to pick up on it too. “Is something wrong? Is the ship still working?”  
“No,” the purple haired girl replied, “it seems as if what you did to it a few days ago has completely taken over all of the flagship. All the systems are offline and it’s completely unusable.”  
“Okay, then what’s the issue? Why do you both look like you’ve seen a ghost?”  
Scorpia looked up, reaching into the bag at her side as she started talking. “We were checking out the rooms when I saw something poking out of some vines. It looked familiar, but I thought I was just seeing things. Once I pulled it out though, I knew that I hadn’t been.”  
Catra’s breathe hitched as she looked at the object in her friend’s claw.   
“He... he kept it.”  
Horde Prime had kept her headpiece.   
“We talked to Wrong Hordak. Apparently Prime had a room where he hung items from the people he personally chipped as souvenirs.”  
Entrapta looked down at the ground. “We thought we should let you decide what to do with it.”  
The former Horde leader quickly grabbed the object and walked toward to sleeping area.  
“Did we do something wrong?”  
The blonde stared in the direction her partner ran off to. “No, you were right. It’s up to Catra what happens to it. I know she appreciates you bringing it back. It’s just... not an easy for her to see.  
“I’ll talk to her. You guys go ahead and tell the others what you found.”  
The First One wasn’t all that surprised to find her girlfriend sitting on the mattress, staring at the mask.  
“Remember the day I picked this out?”  
“Of course I do. You said that you needed it to complete the outfit. Then mocked me for using the same excuse for me red jacket.”  
“I lied. I thought it would draw attention away from my ears.”  
Adora sat down next to her, letting her talk to her at her own pace.  
“I thought that was why Shadow Weaver didn’t like me as much as you,” Catra said. “We had the same basic scores, we were the same age, played the same tricks on Kyle. It was the only difference I could see between us.”  
“She was just a toxic person. Nothing you did would’ve changed the way she treated you. Treated us.”  
“I know that now. After a few days, I knew that wearing it wasn’t solving anything. But I had already gotten used to wearing it, so I kept it.  
“So many bad things happened while I wore this. The way Shadow Weaver treated me, you leaving, me hitting my lowest point, getting used by Horde Prime. And he kept it as a trophy. Makes you wonder who else he chipped. I was probably one of the only ones who survived what he did, maybe the only one.”  
The blonde placed her hand on the other’s shoulder. “What do you want to do with it?”  
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do with it exactly. All I know is that I don’t want to see it ever again. It’s too painful of a reminder.”  
“Then bury it. I’ll help you pick a remote location we won’t return to. That object of the past will never see the light of day again.”  
The part-feline turned her head towards the shrine that held fragments of a certain weapon on it. “I’ll bury mine if you’ll bury yours.”  
————————————————————  
“Catra, I think we are lost.”  
The brunette smirked as she continued digging into the small hole. “That’s kind of the point, Adora. To leave the items in a place we are sure to never find again.”  
“I just don’t like going this deep into the Whispering Woods. Especially since we haven’t had much time to study what’ll happening to it now that the planet’s full magic is restored.”  
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you if any big, bad monsters show up.  
“I think this is deep enough, don’t you?”  
The blonde inspected the pit. “Seems to be. You wanna go first?”  
The former Horde leader nodded and took out the headpiece, running her hands over it one last time. “I’m not the person I was when I wore this mask, am I?”  
“No, you’re not. Does that bother you?”  
Catra tossed it into the hole. “Not even a little.”  
Adora then reached into the bag and grabbed a piece of the broken sword, the hilt. Pulling it out, she stared at it. “For a long time, I thought this sword was the key to my destiny. In reality, all it did was pull me away from it. It pulled me away from you.”  
“We found our way back to each other eventually.”  
“Yeah, I just wish it hadn’t taken so long.”  
Taking a deep breathe, the woman threw it into the ditch and dumped the rest of the shards in after it. “This ends today. I’m done letting She-ra control my life. She’ll always be there to help, but she isn’t going to be what’s most important. That spot belongs to you now.”  
The couple remained silent as Catra filled the hole and Adora used her magic have wildlife grow, making it impossible to tell that the ground had been recently disturbed.   
The two women wrapped their arms around each other and headed in the direction the came, never once looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	40. Hot Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Super Pal Trio finally gets to enjoy hot choclate together.

“This looks really hot,” Catra said as she stared at the liquid inside her tiny mug.  
Scorpia chuckled as she poured a cup for herself. “That’s why it’s called hot cocoa, Wildcat. And I can’t believe you’ve never had it.”  
“It doesn’t make logical sense for us to be having this kind of beverage during this time of year,” Entrapta pointed out. “It’s summertime in Brightmoon, the weather is plenty warm enough for us to not need additional heat.”  
“It’s just something fun for us to do,” the other princess explained. “We never got to have hot chocolate during our trip to the Northern Reach. Just didn’t have the time.”  
“Yeah,” the part-feline said as she stared down at the floor, “that’s why.”  
“Hey, it’s okay. We are all friends again and we can leave those memories in the past. And we can make new ones, better ones.”  
The brunette gave a faint smile as she took a tentative sip of her drink. After a few seconds, she examined the liquid and said, “wow, it really does taste like chocolate.”  
“And more importantly, it’s tiny! So cute!”  
Catra rolled her eyes in a loving way and continued drinking the beverage, happy that they were finally able to share this experience together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been rewatching the series again so I can see what it’s like from the start now that I know the ending. I just watched “Princess Scorpia” and the scene where Emily plays the three talking about having coccoa on their “field trip.” I’m assuming they never did it back then, at least not all together, so I wanted to make a short scene where they finally get to.


	41. Is That Really How You Feel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora argue about a game of Monopoly, but it turns out that was just set off the discussion of a much bigger issue.

Adora slammed her orange juice loudly on the breakfast table, staring harshly at Catra. In return, the brunette returned the look and cut into her pancake with such violence, it honestly terrified the other guests.  
Bow and Glimmer exchanged a worried look between themselves, and the queen motioned for her boyfriend to say something.  
“So,” the master archer started, sweat dripping down his face, “what’s going on with you guys?”  
“Nothing,” the part-feline spat.  
“Yeah,” the blonde agreed, “nothing at all. We are fine.”  
The sorceress didn’t buy it for a second. “There has to be something wrong. What, did you guys not get a good night sleep or something?”  
“No, we did not. And that’s all thanks to Adora.”  
“Well, at least I’m not a coward.”  
“Coward! I was the one who said ‘I love you’ first.”  
“Yeah, after you ran away.”  
Bow held up his hands between the two ladies. “Come on guys, let’s take a breathe. You don’t won’t to end up saying things you will regret later.”  
“I only ran away because you’ve always loved being a hero more than you loved me. You still do!”  
“Things like that.”  
“I’m leaving,” Adora said as she stood up from the table. “I was supposed to go help Mermista with repairs to the Sea Gate later this week anyway. I’ll just get a jump on it.”  
“Oh, now look who’s running away!”  
The First One waved her off as she slammed the door behind her.  
Glimmer turned her head towards Catra, deeply confused. “Alright, you wanna tell us what’s going on?”  
The former Horde leader ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “We got into a fight last night that we apparently did not sleep off.”  
“That kinda seems obvious. What was it about?”  
“Well, it all started when Adora wanted to play Monopoly.”  
Bow put his head in his hands. “Oh, Catra.”  
“You didn’t.”  
“We did.”  
“We warned you to never play that game with her. She gets super competitive. More so then usual.”  
“I thought you were exaggerating.”  
“We really weren’t.”  
“So as I was saying, we started playing the game. Everything seemed fine until it had been going on for four hours with no end in sight. It was getting late, so I said we should stop playing, you know, like a normal person would. She insisted that we had to keep going until the end. I said she was being difficult and it was just a stupid game, we could finish it in the morning if we wanted to. One thing led to another and we started screaming and bringing up things I thought we had dealt with a long time ago.”  
“That’s usually how fights work,” the inventor said. “It starts off as something silly and eventually snowballs into something that doesn’t even resemble what started it.”  
“So what should I do? Follow her to Salineas and try to talk to her?”  
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s your first real fight as a couple. Give yourselves some time to cool off. Adora will be back this afternoon, you two can talk then.”  
The girl nodded and stood up, walking out of the room to return to her’s.  
————————————————————  
Catra tried her best not to focus on the fight that had occurred the previous night, but it was a lot harder than she thought. She kept replaying the things she had said to Adora, hurtful things that she didn’t even mean. Of course her girlfriend loved her more than being a hero, that was obvious to her and to everyone around them.  
So, why had she said it?  
In her weekly meditations with Perfuma, she had learned that when she had trouble figuring out what exactly her emotions were, she said the first thing that popped into her mind, even if it wasn’t true. The flower princess had tried to assure her that it didn’t make her a bad person, just meant she should take time to think about what she really felt before starting a heavy conversation with someone. Today, the part-feline realized that was a lot easier to do when you knew a heavy conversation was coming.  
At least she could prepare for the one that would most certainly happen upon Adora’s return. So, for the next several hours, all she did was think about what she felt and how she wanted to express it (well, that and demolish that stupid game to pieces).  
When the blonde returned, she found her girlfriend calmly waiting for her.  
“Hey.”  
“Hey.”  
Adora walked over to the as the other said, “are we gonna talk about what happened last night and this morning?”  
“Only if you want to.”  
The brunette nodded.   
“I’m sorry that I got upset about the game. I let my competitive drive get in the way of us communicating, that was unfair.”  
“Adora, it’s fine. I should’ve been more approachable with my request to stop the game early. We both could’ve handled it better.”  
There were a few minutes of silence before the First One asked, “last night you said I loved She-ra more than you. And you said something similar this morning. Is that really how you feel?”  
“Oh, sweetie no. There is no doubt in my mind that you love me more than anything.” Catra bit her lip as she contemplated how the saw the next part. “But sometimes, that is what makes me worry the most.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“These past few months, I’ve been asking you to cut back on hero-related stuff quite a big.”  
“And? I’ve been doing it, just like you asked.”  
“That’s the problem. It feels like you’ve been doing it just for me, when I want you to do it for you. Because you know you deserve it and that it’s not selfish to take care of yourself. I’m always going to be here to remind you of just how amazing you are, but I also want you to know just how amazing you are, even if you had never became a hero.”  
Adora’s eyes fill with tears. “Everyone keeps telling me that, but I don’t see it. I’ve tried Catra, I really have. But I just don’t see it.”  
“I’m going to suggest something to you. It may seem a little strange to you, but hear me out.”  
The other female nodded vigorously.  
“I think you should start seeing Perfuma once a week.”  
The blonde blinked. “Like, with you?”  
“No, on your own. It really has helped me these past couple of months, with everything that’s happened. I think it could do the same for you, help you work through some of the things you feel hold you back. If you want to tell me about the session or even have me sit in on it with you, that’s fine. If you want to keep that between you and flower girl, that’s fine too. But I think you need to do something. And not for me, but for you.”  
Adora considered the offer. As much as she hated to admit it, it was exhausting to feel this way every second of everyday. She always felt like she needed to be helping people and when she was, she felt like it wasn’t enough. Even today, rather than going away to have some time for herself to work through her emotions, she went straight to her to-do list. And she had felt miserable the whole day.  
Maybe Catra was right. Maybe this was what she really needed.  
“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I’m not that good at writing fights, but I do think that Adora needs therapy just as much as Catra does, so once I started writing this, it felt like the perfect opportunity to slip it in.


	42. All I’ve Ever Known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora goes to therapy and discovers that just because you’ve been doing something for so long doesn’t mean it’s what makes you happy.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to go?”  
Catra sighed in frustration. “Adora, you’ve canceled on Perfuma twice before for this exact same reason. I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it a thousand times more, it’s okay to not go on every mission. Bow, Glimmer, and I can handle rebuilding a few houses in Thaymor. You just concentrate on your session.”  
“But what if something comes up and you need my help?”  
“Here,” the part-feline said as she added a small device to her girlfriend’s bag, “this will send you a distress signal if we need you to come. But you have to promise me you will keep it in your bag and not have it be the only thing on your mind.”  
“I promise,” the blonde said, giving the other a kiss on the cheek. She hugged Bow and Glimmer goodbye at the Brightmoon castle gates and left on Swift Wind in the direction of Plumeria.   
Once she was out of sight, the queen turned to Catra. “You really think it’s wise for her to have that device thingy on her?”  
“Of course not. That’s why what I just gave her was scrap metal. If we’re lucky, she’ll never even look at it and will be none the wiser.”  
————————————————————  
The second Adora landed next to the Heart-Blossom in Plumeria, she checked the device Catra gave her. Upon further inspection, she realized that it was just old junk with a note attached to it that said, “we have it covered, take this time to focus on yourself,” with a poorly drawn self-portrait of Catra on it.   
Just as she was about to get back on the horse to join the others and yell at her girlfriend, she heard a perky voice come up from behind her.  
“Adora,” Perfuma exclaimed, “I was beginning you weren’t going to show up. Again.”  
“Yeah, about that- oh,” the blonde could barely get a few words in before she was being pulled into a rather large tent, filled with wind chimes hanging from the sealing and two mats, sitting parallel from each other on the floor.  
“Take a seat and we can begin.”  
Figuring she was already in too deep to get out now, the First One sat down with her legs crossed together and waited for further instructions.  
The session began as they way Catra had described how all her sessions had begun- having a flower crown placed on her head, going through and naming relevant things for each of the five senses, deep breathing, etc.  
That was where the similarities ended.  
“Is this the part where we talk about my anger now?”  
“No. That issue is more of Catra’s department. You’re really here to work on your self-image, right?”  
Adora simply nodded.   
“Then what I want you to do is think about your life and the things you find to be your greatest disappointments in yourself.”  
“Do I have to say them out loud?”  
“Only if you want to.”  
It was scarily easy for her to think of things she blamed herself for. She saw flashes of Bow getting hurt by a bot, Angella sacrificing herself, Entrapta being left in the Fright Zone.   
But there seemed to be one long mistake she kept coming back to.  
“Catra,” the blonde said, barely above a whisper. “We were in the Fright Zone together for so many years. She endured so much and I just let it happen.”  
“It’s hard to help people in a situation you yourself are in.”  
“But I wasn’t. I was Shadow Weaver’s favorite, the one she gave all the attention to. Catra was physically and emotionally abused.”  
“And you weren’t?”  
Tears streamed from the warrior princesses’ face. “Not like she was.”  
“Adora, it’s unfair to compare abusive experiences. Even if you are punished by the same person, no two people will ever have been through the exact same thing. Just because Catra went through something horrible, it doesn’t negate all the pain you were in as well, even if it wasn’t the same.  
“And let’s be clear on something. You didn’t let anything happen. You were a child. It was up to Shadow Weaver to raise you both with love and care, It was not your responsibility to ensure she was doing that. She is the only one in that situation who had blame.”  
“I still went along with it all. I trained, I hated princesses like you, I wanted to be a Force Captain more than anything.”  
“And you got that position, but you left it.”  
“That was all Bow and Glimmer’s doing. They showed me the truth.”  
“I don’t think it was all them,” Perfuma assured. “After I heard you story of how you joined the rebellion, I found it interesting that you left after being with these people for a day at most. What makes you think you wouldn’t have left on your own eventually? You were scheduled to attack Thaymor anyway, you would’ve seen that it wasn’t a rebel fortress like the Horde had told you.”  
Adora considered this, recognizing the other’s point. That would’ve her first time seeing active duty. A simulation was one thing, but how would she had reacted if she was actually seeing reality instead of holographic images?  
The flower princess continued. “You left because you knew it was the right thing to do. I firmly believed that was a choice you would’ve always made, sooner or later.”  
“That doesn’t excuse that before that, I was on the side that destroyed everything.”  
“Do you think that’s why you feel you always have to be the hero? You grew up on the side that destroyed things, you’re descended from a group of people that destroyed things, so you feel you have to fix everything they did.”  
“I have to at least try. I was a part of the problem, now I have to be a part of the solution.”  
“You aren’t responsible for the mistakes of two entire societies. Don’t take on things that you never had control over. Each of us can only be responsible for our own actions, and anyone who sees even a glimpse of your life knows that you’ve done more good in your life than most.”  
“And I can’t stop now. It’s so easy for people like you and Catra to tell me to take a step back, relax. No one can possibly understand the position I’m in.”  
“You’re right, no one can understand fully what it’s like to be She-ra, to bear that kind of responsibility. But at the end of the day, you are still Adora. You are human. And as much as she pushed, at the end of the day all Catra wants is for Adora, not She-ra, to be happy. So this is what it comes down to. Does saving people as She-ra make you happy?”  
Adora folds her arms around her chest. “It makes me happy that other people are happy I helped them.”  
“That’s not the same as being happy yourself, and you know it.”  
“Fighting is all I’ve ever known, and I’m really good at it.”  
“Doesn’t mean you won’t be good at other stuff you try, stuff that brings you joy just by doing them.”  
“And how exactly am I supposed to find those things?”  
“Take a few hours every week to do things for yourself, things you think you as a person would enjoy. Whether you do it with other people or not is up to you. Don’t judge the experience by how good you are at it, but if you enjoyed doing it. If you didn’t, move on. If you did, keep returning to it.”  
“Should I go on missions in between those times?”  
“That’s up to you and how you feel those missions affect you. It’s okay to do things for others, so long as you aren’t taking away what you need to help yourself.”  
Adora nodded and stood up, walking towards the exit.  
“And Adora?”  
The women turned her head to Perfuma, waiting expectantly.  
The princess gave her a serious look. “See you next week.”  
She immediately new what she was getting at. The rebellion fighter had to stop putting these kind of things off. If she wanted to feel better about herself as a whole, she needed to put in the effort, even when it was hard.  
“Yeah, see you next week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the chapter where Catra meditates, she feels almost instant relief at letting some of her anger go. With Adora, her journey will be just as rewarding, but she’s definitely going to have to change her viewpoints of day to day situations. I based both of those on my experience with therapy and meditation, as there have been times where talking about the thing in my weekly session was enough, and then there were things I have to make an effort to change in my everyday life. As, always thanks for reading!


	43. That’s Not The Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra realizes that there is someone she has completely forgotten to apologize to.

“Well, it took a while,” Adora said as she hung up a photo of a kitten, “but all of your stuff has officially been moved from the Fright Zone back to Drill. How does it feel to be home, Entrapta?”  
“It feels great,” the purple haired princess replied. “Now I can finally resume the projects I was working on before I joined the Horde.”  
“Of course that’s what your most looking forward to,” Catra said with a smile, hands on her hips.   
“I am going to miss having Hordak as a lab partner, though.”  
“I know you will,” Bow said, “but we can’t trust him, not after everything he’s done. You can visit him in his cell at Mystacor anytime you want, but I don’t know if anyone will ever truly be comfortable letting him walk free.”  
Entrapta nodded in understanding, but still looked sad.  
“Hey,” Catra started, hoping to cheer the scientist up somewhat, “if you want, I can hang back and help you with your inventions. I may not be a great inventor like you, but I can certainly try.”  
The princess started walking away from the group. “No thanks. In fact, you should probably leave soon.”  
The former Horde leader blinked in shock and watched the female disappear behind a corner.  
“I thought you said she had forgiven you,” Bow questioned.  
“I thought she had. She told me as much on Darla’s ship and we’ve hung out a few times with Scorpia since the war ended.  
“I guess I can’t blame her though. I did send her to Beast Island to die all because she wanted to stop the planet from being destroyed.”  
Adora looked at her girlfriend with concern. “Do you want us to talk to her?”  
“No, you guys go ahead and get the transport ready. This is my mistake to fix, on my own.”  
It took a while, but the part-feline finally found the lab in the Crypto Castle where, to no one’s surprise, Entrapta was already working away, talking into her recorder.  
“Entrapta,” she said, getting the other person’s attention.  
“Catra? I thought I had told you to leave. Did I imagine that? No, I definitely told you.”  
“I know you did, and I’m going. I just wanted to say again how sorry I am for everything that happened. I want you to know that you don’t have to hang out with me or talk to me if it makes you uncomfortable. I betrayed you in one of the worst ways possible and you have a right to not want to see or talk to me. I’m sorry I suggested us being alone together. That was too much.”  
“Oh, that was no big deal. Usually, I prefer to have a lab partner of more experience, but that’s not the reason I said no. I forgave you a long time ago.”  
“If that’s not the reason, then what is?”  
“Emily, of course.”  
The brunette blinked. “Emily? The robot?”  
Entrapta nodded as she used her hair to grab tools from halfway across the room. “She told me what happened in the Fright Zone while I was gone. She says she’s not comfortable with you being around.”  
Out of all the things she had thought might be the root of the problem, this had not occurred to Catra at all. To be honest, she had forgotten about Emily once she left with Scorpia. She guessed in all of the human lives she hurt, she didn’t see the bot as one she needed to make amends with.  
But Emily obviously had feelings, even she could see that. And if the robot was important to Entrapta, then she was important to her.  
“Is there any way I can see Emily in person? To say sorry?”  
The purple haired girl considered this for a moment and then gave a firm nod. She clapped her hands and called the name of her technological friend.   
Emily entered the lab, but the second she saw the part-feline, she hid.  
“It’s okay, Emily. She won’t hurt you.”  
The droid seemed to have a deep sense of trust with her creator, because the promise alone caused her to slowly inch forward.  
Catra got down on her knees and held her hand out, still a little uncomfortable about the situation. “Hey, Emily.”  
She was met with silence.  
“I’m not exactly sure how to say this, I’ve never talked to a robot before.”  
A series of beeps came in reply and from the tone of them, the android didn’t sound happy.  
“Just talk to her like you would anyone else,” the scientist advised.  
The former Horde leader sighed heavily and began again. “I’m sorry for all I did to you and Entrapta. Both of you were just trying to help, even when I didn’t deserve it, and all I did was push you both away. I can’t fix the past, I can’t even undo the scratch I put on you. But I promise, I’ll never hurt anyone like that again.”  
Emily stood completely still for a long time, causing Catra to sweat in anticipation. Eventually though, the bot walked up to her and put nudged up against the brunette’s hand.  
“I’m pretty sure she accepts your apology.”  
“I think so too.”  
“Great! Now you can help me with this experiment. Here, hold this for me for a second.”  
Catra took the object and sent Adora a quick message telling her to go home without her, as she was pretty sure the rest of her evening was booked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	44. This Crazy, Dysfunctional Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra consider if it’s time to move out of the Brightmoon Castle.

Catra was starting to get very annoyed.  
This was the third time this week that she and Adora had decided to stay in bed, to just cuddle for a little bit longer before their day really began. And it had been the third time this week they had been interrupted by someone knocking on their door or teleporting into their room, forcing them to go to a meeting or come down for breakfast.  
Another series of knocks were heard by the couple.  
The part-feline sighed, “I swear Bow if you knock on that door one more time, I will scratch your eyes out.”  
The archer squeaked and said in a high-pitched voice, “Glimmer and I will just start eating without you. You guys just come when you’re ready.”  
The former Horde leader sat up in bed and ran her hands over her face when her girlfriend’ spoke.  
“Do you think it might be time for us to move out?”  
She looked down at her partner, confused. “Seriously?”  
The blonde shrugged, “it’s just a suggestion. We have been staying her for a year and a half, me even longer than that. Might be nice to have a place all to ourselves, with no one to bother us every minute of the day.”  
“But wouldn’t you miss Glimmer and Bow?”  
“We aren’t cutting them out of our lives, we’d probably still see them everyday. Just on our terms for once.”  
Catra bit her lip, considering this.  
“It was just an idea,” the First One assured as she got out of bed, “ forget about it. Let’s go down for breakfast.”  
The brunette tried to put it out of her mind as they made their way to the dining hall, but it proved difficult. Something about that idea didn’t settle right with her.  
She just didn’t know exactly what.  
Glimmer smiled at the two the second she saw them, “morning sleepyheads! Grab a plate and dig in.”  
The couple did just that, picking a little bit of everything off of the platters that were spread across the large table. The group ate in comfortable silence for quite a bit.  
“So,” Catra said as she took a bite of her bagel, “what’s on the agenda for today?”  
“Nothing much,” the queen replied. “I have a meeting with some of the kingdom’s diplomats, but that’s not til this afternoon.”  
“Good luck with that, Sparkles.”  
“I’m going to need it. They criticize every single one of my ideas.”  
Bow, being the group’s resident optimist, cheerfully added, “but you’ve never let people like them stop you before, and you certainly aren’t going to now.”  
Adora chuckled, “I don’t think that would be physically possible.”  
“The Whispering Woods would freeze over again before that happened,” Catra said with a smirk.  
“Haha guys, very funny. Anyway, what’s the plan for the two of you today?”  
The part-feline shrugged, “haven’t exactly decided yet. We might spar a little, go for a walk, torture Bow for getting us up earlier than we wanted.”  
“Catra,” her girlfriend chided.  
The sorceress gave her boyfriend a glare. “Bow, I specifically told you not to bother them.”  
“You mean to tell me that we still could’ve been in bed right now? Oh, come on!”  
“In my defense, I wasn’t going to disturb you two. But then I walked past your door and I realized how much I wanted you guys to eat with us. It’s not as fun when we aren’t all together.”  
Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me it’s not fun to be alone with me? Your girlfriend?”  
“Uh oh,” the brunette said as she cut into her pancake, “looks like Arrow Bow is in trouble.”  
“No, of course I have fun when it’s just the two of us. I just like it better when we are all together. We all balance each other out.”  
The embodiment of She-ra winced at hearing those words. “Bow, you really gotta stop talking.”  
“Are you saying I need to be balanced out?”  
“And that’s our cue to leave,” the former Horde leader said as she and Adora simultaneously got up from their chairs and speed-walked towards the exit, the voices of the other couple already getting louder.  
“How long do you think that’s gonna last,” the blonde asked as they started the walk back to their room.  
“Not long, they love each other too much to keep a stupid fight like that going. Probably will start kissing in the next five minutes.”  
“Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.”  
Catra stopped and grabbed the other person’s hand. “Hey.”  
“Yeah?”  
“I don’t think we should move out.”  
“Okay,” The First One replied nonchalantly.  
“It’s just... it took us so long to get to where we are. To have this crazy, dysfunctional family that we aren’t ever going to give up on, who is never going to give up on us. I guess what I’m saying is I want to live in that every second of everyday, even when it isn’t exactly convenient to.”  
“Catra, I get it. Even before you came and made my life complete, this place, these people,” she paused as she looked around, “well, they have a way of making you feel like your home. Like this is where you were always meant to be.”  
Catra breathed a sigh of relief that her companion understood. “So, it’s agreed. We’re staying?”  
“We’re staying,” Adora said as she put her arm around the others waist and and continued their walk. “Although, it might be nice to get a vacation house.”  
“A vacation house?”  
“Nothing fancy. Just a small place in the Whispering Woods to run away to when our- what did you call it? Our ‘crazy, dysfunctional family’ gets on our last nerve.”  
The part-feline chuckled. “Sounds like the perfect plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I know some other fanfics have them move out and get their own place and those are always fun to read. But, for me at least, I can’t imagine them being anywhere else but with Bow and Glimmer.


	45. A Triple Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little competitive when Catra and Adora join Bow and Glimmer on a triple date with Mermista and Sea Hawk.

“A triple date?” Catra raised her eyebrow, “that sounds really stupid.  
“No, it’s really fun” Glimmer insisted, then turned to the blonde. “Don’t you think it’ll be fun, Adora?”  
“Yeah, it actually does.”  
The part-feline groaned. “The whole point of you being my girlfriend is for you to get me out of these annoying social situations your friends want to put me in.”  
The First One shrugged. “Guess you picked the wrong girl then.”  
“Must have,” she said with a goofy smile.  
“Okay, even if neither of you wanted to come, you still have to as payment for all the mushy love stuff you two put me through daily.”  
The brunette’s tail spiked up. “We are not mushy!”  
“I’m going to get a cavity from all the sweetness I’m being exposed to lately.”  
Before the other could retort, Adora placed her hand on her shoulder to calm her down and said, “we’ll do it.”  
“Yes!”  
“What! No we will not!”  
The embodiment of She-ra ignored her girlfriend’s protest. “It’s with you and Bow and Mermista and Sea Hawk, right?”  
“Yes,” the queen said as she started running down the hall to go tell her boyfriend the good news. “It’s tonight at the Seaworthy pub. Me and Bow are teleporting so you’ll have to find your own transportation.”  
“That’s alright,” she called to the other, “we will just take Swift Wind.”  
Once the sorceress was out of sight, Catra gave her partner a glare. “Why do you hate me?”  
“I don’t hate you, I love you. And you love me.”  
“So far all of that is correct.”  
“And as the love of my life, you should make an effort to get to know the people closest to me better. That include Sea Hawk and Mermista.”  
“I literally live with Sparkles and Arrow Bow! Isn’t that enough?”  
The blonde pretended to consider this before replying, “nope. I’m afraid not.  
“Relax, it won’t be as bad as you’re making it out to be.”  
————————————————————  
It was worse than what she had made it out to be.  
Catra had no problems with Adora, obviously, and Bow and Glimmer were generally fun to hang out with, despite them upping the public displays of affection with this being a date and all. She hadn’t seen a lot of Mermista, but her she had seemed pretty chill at her birthday party. All in all, she would’ve been with just the five of them hanging out.  
But, because this was a ‘triple date, Sea Hawk was also there, and he was driving her up the wall. For most of the night, he had been telling stories about his daring adventures, even though Catra had witnessed a lot of the ones he was describing and they had been nothing like what the way he was telling them. The water princess seemed to be fed up with him too, constantly correcting him and groaning a lot.  
She was really starting to like this girl.  
“And then I kissed my dearest Mermista and that kiss, born out of true love, saved the universe!”  
“What,” Adora shouted. “That is not what happened at all. First off, Mermista was just trying to kill you moments ago while she was chipped. Secondly, and more importantly, it was me and Catra who kissed and saved the universe!”  
“That is up for debate.”  
“How is it up for debate? You can’t debate actual facts of things that actually happened!”  
As the two went back and forth, the part-feline sighed and took another long sip of her milkshake.  
“Ugh,” the princess of Salineas said, “I can’t deal with him when he gets like this.”  
“Trust me, I know the feeling. Being She-ra’s girlfriend isn’t always a walk in the park either.”  
“You know what,” the blonde said provokingly, “I think you’re just lying because your still upset that I kicked your butt in arm wrestling.”  
“That never happened!”  
“You know that it did. And if your so sure that it didn’t, then why not challenge me right here, right now? Loser buys everyone another round of milkshakes.”  
“You’re on!”  
“No, Sea Hawk,” his girlfriend insisted as the two people were linking hands. “You will not ruin this for me like you did with mermaid meet-and-greet.”  
“Yeah, Adora,” the former Horde leader said teasingly, “don’t bring down the party by kicking Sea Hawks butt.”  
The merperson turned her attention back to Catra. “What did you just say?”  
“You heard me. She would obviously win, so there’s no point in even doing the match.”  
“Oh, really?”  
“Yeah, really,” she said with a wicked smirk.  
“Okay. Sea Hawk, I’m giving you permission just this once to arm wrestle Adora. Don’t make me regret it.”  
After a gleeful cheer from the sailor, the competition began, each of the contestants partners cheering their soulmate on.  
“Go Adora!” Bow shouted as he jumped up and pumped a fist. “Put him in the dirt.”  
Glimmer pulled him down almost immediately. “You stay out of this.”  
After about thirty seconds, the serial arsonist was defeated and the First One was flexing her muscles.  
Catra called a waitress over and said, “another strawberry milkshake, please. Oh, and it’s on him.”  
The server took the rest of the table’s orders and walked away, confused at why the man with the mustache, who was apparently picking up the tab now, was massaging his wrist.  
“Okay, we are never going on another triple date with you guys ever again,” the queen stated. “You all are way too competitive.”  
Mermista smiled, “what did you expect?”  
“Yeah,” Catra agreed, “that’s what makes an outing like this fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how much these characters love to win. As always, thanks for reading!


	46. Just Drink The Milkshake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora introduces Catra to a new treat.

Catra drummed her claws on the kitchen table impatiently. “Why are we doing this again?”  
“I saw Bow and Glimmer doing this yesterday and it looked really cute,” Adora explained as she poured the contents from the blender into a large glass. “So I wanted to try it so that way we can be cute too.”  
“Telling me that doing something will make me look cute isn’t a good way go get me to do it. And exactly why won’t you let me help you?”  
“Because I want it to be a surprise and you don’t know how to make it anyway. I’m almost done.”  
“It’s the middle of the night and I’ve literally been sitting here for twenty minutes. This better be worth it.”  
Suddenly, the blonde turned around and placed a glass on the table, filled with a thick, pink liquid and topped with some whipped substance, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry on top. “Tada!”  
The part-feline just stared at it for a moment, confused. “What in the Horde is that?”  
“That is a milkshake! It’s sort of like liquid ice cream.”  
That only confused her even more. “Liquid ice what?”  
“Oh, that’s right,” the First One said as she sat down across from her girlfriend. “I keep forgetting you’ve only been at the castle for a week. You don’t really know what all this stuff is. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I promise you, it’s really yummy and if you like it a lot, we can make these everyday. We can even have different flavors, though I made this one strawberry cause you seemed to like that particular fruit the most while we lived at the hideout.”  
“There’s only one. Where’s yours?”  
“Ba-bam!” Adora pulled two straws out of nowhere and placed them in the shake. “Two straws and one milkshake make for a very romantic evening.”  
“Yes, sipping each other’s backwash. How romantic.”  
The other woman smirked. “You didn’t seem to have any problems with my backwash this morning.”  
“Adora,” Catra said, blushing, even though no one else was around to hear the remark.  
“Come on, try some,” the embodiment of She-ra said as she pushed the glass toward the other. “You know you want to.”  
“I have to admit, I am curious.” And so, the former Horde leader put the straw to her mouth and took a sip. After a few seconds, the flavor really kicked in and her eyes widened.  
“It’s good, isn’t it,” the blonde said, right before she put her straw to her lips.  
“This is awesome. And you guys have stuff like this all the time?”  
“All. The. Time.”  
“Adora, you make one for yourself, cause there is no way I’m sharing.”  
“Don’t be mean,” she teased as she took a bit of whip cream and plopped it on the other’s nose with a satisfying, “boop.”  
“Just for that, I’m taking the cherry.” Catra grabbed the fruit by the stem and dangled it over her mouth.  
“Don’t you dare! The cherry is the best part!”  
“I’m sure it is, that’s why I’m taking it.”  
The First One slumped back in her chair, feigning defeat. “I guess I can let you have it.”  
“You didn’t let me have it, I got it fair and square.”  
“Just drink the milkshake,” Adora said with a smile as she watched her partner excitedly drained the glass of it’s contents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know Adora literally watched Bow and Glimmer interact and she goe, “That’s so cute! Me and Catra have to do that some time.”


	47. On The Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad decides to join Frosta in ice skating.

“Couldn’t you have picked something a little less cold,” Catra said as she shivered. Even though she was dressed up in the clothes she had worn in the Northern Reach, she was freezing her tail off.  
“Perfuma said to pick an activity I’d always thought would be fun to try,” Adora said as she took off her regular shoes. “I’ve always really wanted to try ice skating.”  
“Look,” the part-feline said as she stood up and started walking slowly on her new skates, “I fully support you trying new things that you think will make you happy. I just think the first thing you picked shouldn’t have involved me getting on an ice rink.”  
“Well, I for one am excited,” Glimmer chimed in as she adjusted her earmuffs. “Thanks, Frosta, for letting us all use your personal rink.”  
“I just want to see Catra slip and fall,” the ice princess admitted.  
“Hey! I thought you had said that we were even after you punched me!”  
“Okay,” the blonde chimed in, hoping to dodge any impending quarrels, “I’m all laced up and ready to go. How about you Bow? Ready to go?”  
“Oh yeah. Let’s do this thing.”  
Frosta goes out onto the ice first, making the transition seem seamless and graceful. Next is Bow and Glimmer, who start off a little wobbly, but they grab onto each other for support and lean forward, which allows them to move at snail speed without falling. The follows Adora. She puts one skate on the ice, decides it seems simple enough and takes on overconfident leap onto the frictionless surface.  
She immediately slips and lands hard on her butt.  
Her girlfriend doubles over from laughter before making her own way to the rink. “You should see the look on yo- woah!” Catra yelps as she looses her balance and falls down as well, sliding right next to the First One. In the background, Frosta pointed at her and laughed.  
“Not as easy as it looks, is it,” Adora countered.  
The pair made several attempts to get up and start the actual activity, but always ended up back where they started. Eventually, they made Frosta pity them so much that she added a railing to the outer edges for them to hold onto.  
“Ah, why is it so cold?”  
“It’s made of ice, Catra.”  
The brunette only stuck her tongue out in response.   
After an hour, Bow and Glimmer seemed to have gotten the hang of things. The other couple, however, was only able to make one lap around the rink without holding to the railing before falling (partly due to them getting cocky and challenging each other to a race).   
“So,” the master archer said two hours later as they all sat huddled around a warm fire, now inside of Frosta’s castle, “do you think you’d want to do this again?”  
“Probably not,” the blonde responded truthfully. “I think this experience alone has put my tailbone through enough pain. But I did have fun. Thanks guys, for doing this with me.”  
Catra rolled her eyes, “of course dummy. We’re always gonna be there for you.”  
The other two friends nodded in agreement, Glimmer adding, “I’m just excited our adventures now don’t involve the possibility of us dying anymore.”  
Adora couldn’t agree more. Her friends were finally safe to live out the lives they’d always wanted.  
She still wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, but she certainly knew who we wanted to spend it with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Honestly, today has been kinda rough for me. There’s just so much stuff going on, in my personal life and the world in general. I am glad that I have this fanfic as a small escape everyday. Please stay safe out there and remember that Black Lives Matter.


	48. The Fact That You’re Trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has a bad dream.

Adora woke up in the middle of the night to find her girlfriend sitting up on the edge of the bed.  
“Catra,” she said questioningly, rubbing her eyes as she pulled her body upright. “What are you doing up?”  
“Nothing really, just don’t feel like sleeping. Lay back down.”   
The blonde wrapped her arms around the other and tenderly kissed the part-feline’s shoulder. “You know very well that I can’t go back to sleep unless you’re coming with me. And you never turn down an opportunity to rest. Something is clearly wrong.”  
The brunette leaned into her partner’s embrace and sighed. “I had a nightmare that the Horde had won the war.”  
Adora hugged Catra even tighter, trying to assure her. “Horde Prime can’t ever come back, you know. He’s dead.”  
“It wasn’t Horde Prime who won in my dream. It was our Horde, Hordak... and me.”  
“Oh.”  
“We were close to doing it in real life. The Horde controlled the seas, major supply routes, and anything else that really matters in a fight. And yet, I never found it satisfying. I was never happy.   
“I didn’t know exactly why. I was winning. I was beating you, making you pay for how much it hurt when you left. And none of it helped me heal a bit. So I just kept destroying things. Things, lives, friendships. I didn’t realize that the thing I was trying to destroy was exactly what I was looking for.”  
“But you realized your mistakes and you changed.”  
“Yeah, at the very end of the war, when a bigger threat turned up. A threat that wouldn’t haven’t even appeared if it hadn’t been for me. Sparkles always says it’s her fault because she used the Heart of Etheria, but in truth, the only reason she did that was because I crippled her forces so much she had to.”  
“You didn’t make Glimmer do anything. She knew the risks of the Heart and did it anyway. I’ve forgiven her for it, but that doesn’t erase the fact that it was still a terrible decision.”  
“You mean like me with the portal?”  
Adora sucked in a breathe, immediately regretting what she had said. “Catra, I-“  
“Please don’t sugarcoat it, Adora. It only makes me feel worse.”  
The blonde paused than said, “Okay, I won’t. What you did sucked. It was probably- no, definitely- the stupidest decision of your entire life. It hurt me so much when you pulled the switch, and it killed me when I was over that chasm, reaching out for you, only for you to voluntarily let go. Cause you’d rather the see the world end then have me ‘be the hero.’  
I thought there was no use trying anymore, you had made your choice. But then you saved Glimmer and said you were sorry. Not just once and not just to me, but to all the people you’ve hurt. You’ve changed so much in such a short time.”  
“I don’t think it’ll ever be enough.”  
“And maybe it won’t be, not for some people. But for me, and for your friends, the fact that you’re trying is more than enough.”  
The part-feline nodded half-heartedly, too ashamed to accept the kind words but too tired to disagree.  
“Can we just stay like this for a little bit longer,” she asked, “just, not saying anything?”  
The First One silently agreed by kissing her girlfriend on the cheek and letting the comfort of being simply together overtake them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


	49. Practice What She Preached

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra receives a surprise from Adora

“Why can’t with you again? I would’ve thought you would wanted me to go. I’m your girlfriend.”  
“Catra,” Adora sighed as she loaded up the transport. “It’s not that I don’t want you to go. It’s that you’re still recovering.”  
“You fall out of a tree for the first time in your entire life and suddenly no one can let it go! You were the one who told me a mouse was right next to me.”  
“It was an accident, one for which I’ve apologized profusely for. But your arm is still in a sling and we are lifting heavy materials. Besides, I’d be distracted. I’d be less focused on dismantling the Prime tower and more focused on keeping you safe.”  
Catra squinted her eyes. “I know you aren’t lying cause you are terrible at that.”  
“Hey!”  
“But you’re leaving something out. Another reason why you don’t want me to come along.”  
The blonde got all nervous and fidgety. “What! No, that’s not true.”  
“Yes it is.”  
“Adora,” Glimmer interrupted, “you ready to go?”  
“Just a second,” she replied, then turned her attention back to the love of her life. “Look, we have it covered. You can take this time to just relax in our room, maybe grab a milkshake. Please just trust me on this, okay?”  
Once the brunette saw the other girl’s puppy dog eyes, she knew she couldn’t argue. “Okay, fine. Just don’t get back too late and don’t overexert yourself.”  
“I won’t, I promise. I love you, beautiful. Bye!”  
And just like that, she was left all alone.  
The more the former Horde leader thought about it, the more the sound of a milkshake appealed to her. She went to the kitchen and fixed herself one, then proceeded to head in the direction of her bedroom in hopes of enjoying her treat and then a short nap.  
When she entered the room, she noticed a huge package sitting on the bed, a note attached to it.

Catra,  
I decided that since you had given me a wonderful birthday all those months ago, I should do the same for you. This was the day the Horde took you in, the day you came into my life. I will be eternally grateful for that fact. I know would you hate having an event where the center of attention never strayed from you, and I know that forgiving yourself if something you struggle with the most, so I decided to take a page from your book and have all the princess alliance write letters to you about how much you’ve changed and how much you’ve improved their lives. Hopefully it will help you as much as the notes have helped me.  
Adora 

Catra rolled her eyes as she used one of her nails to rip open the box. This was such an Adora thing for her to do. Then again, she had taken the idea from what the brunette had done, so she couldn’t exactly mock her.  
She was surprised at how many letters where in there, two dozen at least.   
Part of her didn’t want to read them. She felt she didn’t deserve to be forgiven or praised. She wanted to keep on suffering, keep on drowning in regret.  
But she knew that wallowing in the mistakes of the past would only hinder her helping make a brighter future. And she was always on Adora for not giving herself enough credit for doing all the good things she had done. Catra had to practice what she preached.  
She tore open the seal from the first letter and began to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I was going to write some of the letters but my parents do not understand the concept of “alone time,” so I’ll save that for another day when my attention is less divided.


	50. Walls Down and Hearts Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at three of the letters Catra gets for her birthday.

Greetings Horde Scum,  
It seems so strange to me that I consider you one of my closest friends now. Several years ago, I couldn’t even stand the sight of you. Now... well now I can’t imagine life at Brightmoon without you here.   
Although it is clear that Adora is the one who has gained the most from your presence, we have all benefited from you being in the alliance, especially me. Because you didn’t just save me from Horde Prime. You helped me understand myself.  
I think it’s fair to say we are very similar. We’re both stubborn and love to be right, qualities that have allowed us to make terrible decisions. But we also are in like in good ways, wonderful ways. We take charge and show great courage. We are proof that mistakes can make you stronger.  
Understand, Catra, that who you were as a person was never fundamentally bad, just the choices you as a person made were. I think that’s something that happens to all of us from time to time. It’s something we have to live with, but it doesn’t have to define us. You can let the past stay in the past.  
Be who you are, Catra. Be sarcastic and dramatic and annoying and all of the other things we have come to love and need in the Best Friend Squad. You are an integral part of all of our lives, for now and forever.  
Sincerely,  
Glimmer

Hello Wildcat,  
As much as I would’ve loved to celebrate your birthday with a huge party and lots of confetti canons, it’s just as exciting getting to write you a letter. You and me, we have been through a lot together. It’s been hard journey, especially for you, but you’ve made it worthwhile.  
I remember our first mission together like it was yesterday. I was so impressed by your fierceness, your determination. I have never seen you not have that energy, even when you used it in all the wrong places. Now, you are finally in a place where you can take that same fire and use it for good. Not to destroy things, but to make them. Not to show how much you hate, but to show just how much you love.  
Have you ever thought about what would’ve happened if we had stayed in the Crimson Waste together? Because I have. Before I left the Horde it was always in a longing way, that the location change would have somehow fixed everything. Now, I’m grateful that that was not how the story ended, I prefer this life to anything I could’ve dreamt up. I have Perfuma as the love of my life and you as a friend. And most importantly, we both get a second chance at the life we deserve.  
I understand that forgiveness is a hard concept for you, especially towards yourself, and that’s okay. I just want you to promise me that you won’t stop trying to. You are entitled to be happy just as much as me or Adora or anyone else does.  
I hope your life continues to be everything you’ve ever wanted, and I know things happened the way they did for a reason.  
All my love,  
Scorpia

Hey Catra,  
I hoped you enjoyed my surprise for you. So many people have probably already said it, but I just to say how proud I am of you.   
You’ve done things I never had the courage to, you’ve helped me in ways I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand. You are brave and beautiful and everything I’ve ever wanted but never thought I could have.  
This life we have, it’s all because of you. You didn’t let fear stop you from telling me how you felt, not when it mattered most. I know you get credit for a lot of bad things in this world, and I guess I can’t blame people for thinking that way. But sometimes, sometimes I wish they could see that you also created the most pure and beautiful thing in the whole universe- us. You brought me back at the Heart, told me to keep fighting. That’s the only reason I get to watch you wake up in the morning, hear you purr whenever I get close, feel your heart beat in time with mine. Everyday, I get to fall in love with you all over again.  
Things are never going to go back to the way they were before we were on opposite sides and honestly, I don’t want them to. I feel that in the end, in spite of all the bad that happened in between, we were able to find each other, this time walls down and hearts open.   
I love you Catra and I want you to know that. I also want you to know it’s okay to love yourself. That doesn’t mean you are condoning the past or saying you have no regret, just that it’s okay to be proud of the person you are today and the hard fight you had to face to change into her.   
Never forget how much you mean to me and everyone else. And if you do, you always know where to go to be reminded of our love and appreciation for you.  
Forever and Always Yours,  
Adora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter fifty baby! Wooohoo!!!
> 
> I decided to only do three since they were going to be a little bit longer than the notes. I have to admit, something must’ve gotten into my eye while I was writing this cause I just started tearing up and...well, you know how it is.


	51. I Already Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melog wished Catra a happy birthday.

Catra wipes away her tears as she folded up Adora’s letter. Stars, she loved that woman so much. The two of them had been through so much together, and she wouldn’t trade their life together for anything.   
Suddenly, the door was nudged open and a familiar creature came in, hopping up on the bed and placing it’s head on the woman’s lap.  
“Hey buddy,” the part-feline said as she stroked her companion.  
Melog only grumbled in return, telepathically communicating their grievances.  
The former Horde leader only rolled her eyes. “I’m sure the only reason no one asked you to write a letter is because you can’t write or express yourself to anyone but me.”  
“Doesn’t mean I still can’t be upset about it.”  
“You forget that you imprinted on me. I already know how you feel about everything.  
“Come on, sourpuss, you can wait with me for Adora to get back.” Catra reclined in her bed and pulled the covers over herself. Within a few seconds, the creature put it’s whole body up next to her and sighed in content.  
“Happy Birthday, Catra,” they let her know.  
The brunette smiled. “Thanks Melog.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super short chapter, but I hope you didn’t think I was gonna just not have Melog show up on Catra’s special day!


	52. Always Have Something New To Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big announcement is made, causing Catra to turn to Bow for advice.

“We’re getting married,” Glimmer and Bow shout excitingly in unison to the other couple.  
Adora immediately let’s go of Catra’s hand and jumps up from the couch, vibrating with joy. “Seriously!”  
The queen nods her head up and down, holding out her left hand to show a ring resting on one of her fingers.  
The blonde grabs the girl’s hand and admires it. “Wow. Bow, you have great taste.”  
The master archer blushed.  
Catra, who felt that she needed to at least some interest despite her confusion, asked, “when did this all happen?”  
“Well,” the sorceress started, “me and Bow went for a walk after we got back from Spinerella and Netossa’s anniversary dinner. I said something about how amazing it must feel to have that kind of connection to your partner for so long. He asked me if that was something I was interested in. I said yes, and we decided to get married.”  
“Aw,” the First One cooed.  
“I figured that was us getting engaged and we would just start planning the wedding in a month or so. But Bow decided to propose last night.”  
Her partner shrugged sheepishly. “I figured she deserved a real proposal with a real ring.”  
“I am so happy for you guys! This is so great- Catra, isn’t this great?”  
“What- oh, um yeah. I’m sure you guys are over the moon.”  
The sorceress squealed, then found a shred of composure and smoothed over her dress. “Well, we are about to go tell my dad. We just wanted you two to be the first to know because you mean so much to us.”  
“Good luck,” was all the former Horde leader could say in reply.  
————————————————————  
That night, as the two women laid in bed holding, the blonde began to talk.  
“I’m so happy for Bow and Glimmer. I’m glad they’re getting married.”  
“I’m just glad they aren’t here so I can finally get a break from them calling each other that weird new pet name.”  
Adora chuckled. “It’s not a pet name. Fiancé is the term for the person you are engaged to.”  
“Whatever it is, it’s annoying. ‘Fiancé, can you please pass me the salt?’ ‘Oh, yes, fiancée. Here you go.’ ‘Thank you so much, fiancé.’ Bleh.”  
“They are still riding that ‘newly engaged’ high. It’ll calm down after about a month.”  
“If they don’t want their eyes scratched out, they’ll stop by tomorrow morning.”  
“Play nice, Catra.”  
“You know very well that’s something I can never do,” the part-feline said with a smirk.  
The embodiment of She-ra rolled her eyes and suddenly yawned. “I’m getting tired. What do you say we call it a night?”  
“Sounds good to me,” the brunette said as she rolled onto her side, letting arms wrap around her waist.  
A few minutes past in silence, then, barely audible, Adora whispered, “I can’t wait till we get married.”  
That statement made the other’s eyes open widely in panic and prevented her from getting a good night sleep.  
————————————————————  
Catra hesitantly paced in front of the door to the queen’s chambers. There were no guards at the door, meaning Glimmer wasn’t in there at the moment. Which, in reality, the part-feline actually preferred. Sparkles wasn’t the one she wanted to talk to.   
Eventually letting her need for information outweigh her fear of embarrassment, the brunette gave a loud knock on the door, causing it to be open immediately.  
“Oh, hey, Catra,” Bow said in his usual excited tone. “If you’re looking for Adora and Glimmer, they went out to the gardens to get ideas for flower arrangements.”  
“No, I knew that,” the former Horde leader said, awkwardly dragging her foot in a circular motion. “I, um... I actually came here to talk to you. Mind if I come in?”  
“Not at all,” he replied as he stepped out of the doorframe and walked over to the bench at the edge of the bed he shared with Glimmer, patting the spot next to him.  
The brunette sat down and looked at him with panicked curiosity. “What are you and Glimmer doing?”  
The master archer tilted his head, not sure if he was supposed to be insulted. “I don’t follow.”  
“You guys said yesterday that you were getting married. What does that even mean! Adora says she can’t wait for us to get married as well, but how can I do something when I don’t even know what that something is!”  
The young man firmly put his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “Catra, calm down. It’s gonna be okay. Why didn’t you mention any of this yesterday?”  
“Because I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Adora. And you all looked so happy and I didn’t want to take a moment that was supposed to be about the two of you, whatever it was, and make it about how poorly the Horde prepared me for normal living.”  
“That’s very sweet of you, but you wouldn’t have been stealing our moment. The whole reason we told you guys before anyone else is because we want you both to be a part of all of the special moments in our lives. And Adora would’ve understood, she struggled with things like this too.”  
“But I’ve been living at Brightmoon for three years. I thought I wouldn’t be clueless anymore.”  
“It doesn’t matter where you come from. Every single person will always have something new to learn for the rest of their lives. And that’s a good thing. If it weren’t for that, we could never grow and develop.  
“Now, would you like me to explain what marriage is?”  
Catra dropped her head in embarrassment, then slowly nodded.  
Bow put his hand to his chin, thinking of where to start. “To be honest, marriage isn’t all that different from what you and Adora have now. It’s basically a commitment to always be with your partner till the end of time, to never betray or hurt them, and to make amends if you do.”  
“Why does Adora say she can’t wait to do it if it’s just like what we have now?”  
“That’s something you’ll have to ask her. Each person has their own different reasons. For me and Glimmer it was wanting to tell the whole world nothing is going to tear us apart, that we are in this relationship till the very end. For a good amount of people, getting married is a much more meaningful promise then dating.”  
The part-feline sat silent for a moment, taking all the information in. Then she asked, “how does one get married?”  
“Well, first you propose- ask them to marry you that is. Then, if they agree, a while later you have a wedding.”  
“A wedding?”  
“Like a birthday party but instead of celebrating the day you were born, you are celebrating the declaration of your love for each other.”  
“So that’s what Netossa and Spinerella celebrate every year? The day they got married?”  
“Yeah. You’ve been to all of those parties since you got here. What did you think they were for?”  
“The anniversary of when they got together, like how me and Adora celebrate the day we kissed at the Heart.”  
“They literally talk about their wedding all the time.”  
“I usually just tune those kind of conversations out.”  
“How lovely. All that aside, the idea marriage isn’t supposed to be scary. It’s supposed to make you excited and happy about spending the rest of your life with the person you love.”  
“Like you and Glimmer?”  
The son of Lance and George smiled. “Yeah, like me and Glimmer. I feel so blessed by the fact that I have that amazing girl in my life, and-“  
“Okay, Arrow Boy, I gotta leave before I vomit from all this snappiness you are about to dive into,” the brunette said as jokingly as she stood up, then looked down at him. “But seriously, thank you.”  
“Anytime.”  
Catra walked out and shut the door behind her, feeling a lot better. Though she could tell the information she had received was the short run-down of it all, it helped to know that it was not something to fear and wouldn’t change her relationship with Adora too much when it happened. In fact the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of them getting married, showing their timeless love for each other and declaring it would never fade.  
But she still had to have a serious conversation with her partner.  
————————————————————  
“I don’t think we should get married anytime soon,” Catra said out of the blue as she sat with her partner on a bench in the castle gardens.  
The blonde swiveled her head towards her girlfriend, taken aback. “What?”  
“We should hold off on getting engaged for a while. I think we should let this time be for just Glimmer and Bow. I know you said that you can’t wait to get married, but it wouldn’t feel right to me to-“  
“Oh, Catra no- gosh, I’m such an idiot for saying it like that last night. I only meant that I’m excited for that to be us someday, when it happens naturally. To be able to fully promise you I’ll never leave. But I didn’t mean to have you end up thinking I wanted us to get married today. And you’ve never even been to a wedding, I’ve only been to two or three. We’d have no idea how to plan any of it right now.”  
“But you’d want to do it someday? Plan a wedding and marry me?”  
Adora’s eyes glistened. “Only if you wanted to marry me.”  
The part-feline leaned her head on the other’s shoulder, sighing in content. “I think I could manage to be okay with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for the late update, but better late than never. I do intend to also upload another chapter for today, even if it’s not technically uploaded today due to being posted after midnight.


	53. Familiar, But Too Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora tries cooking and baking.

“You sure you don’t want any help,” Glimmer asked once again as she sat the remaining ingredients on the countertop of the Brightmoon kitchen.  
“Yes, I’m sure,” the blonde replied, “you and Catra and Bow have all offered to help me cook this dinner and bake this cake numerous times and while I find it very sweet, this is an activity I want to try on my own. To see if I really like it as opposed to liking the fact that I’m with my friends.”  
The queen put her hands up in resignation. “Alright, fair enough. Just know I’ll be around if you need any help.”  
“Thanks.”  
The second that the sorceress left the room, Adora immediately got to work, following the recipe she had found earlier that day to the letter.   
Due to her excellent knife skills, slicing and dicing the herbs and vegetables was a simple task. Each chop was made with lightning precision. The First One couldn’t understand how anyone found this to be hard.  
Then came the part of cooking the ingredients on the stovetop and adding some meat. And that was a completely different story.   
She must’ve overheated something because, all of a sudden, a small flame appeared on the pan. She got a glass of water and threw it into the dish, hoping to extinguish the flame, but that seemed to only make it grow larger. All the First One could do was panic, trying ridiculous things to put it out, such as throwing more food into the pan. Glimmer eventually walked in to grab a snack, saw the fire and immediately jumped into action, casting a spell that made the flames dissipate instantly.  
Yeah, Adora was now banned from using the stovetop.  
But the cake...the cake was just a matter of mixing ingredients together and placing it in the oven. So, Adora decided to continue ahead with her plans for that.  
She had to admit, she found the whole process very familiar. The way each ingredient had to be added to the bowl in an exact amount, no more no less. That was the kind of attention to detail she had to master during her days living in the Fright Zone, and again with strategizing for the rebellion.   
Once all the ingredients were in the bowl, she mixed it all together until she was certain that all of the batter was smooth and even. Then she put that in a round cake mold and plopped that in the oven.  
A little over an hour and a half later, the cake was cool enough for her to start frosting her creation. She made every inch of it was covered in a layer of white, with red ribbons made of fondant for the trim.   
Finally, she was ready to share her creation with her friends. The Best Friend Squad gathered and watched with anticipation as the blonde cut a piece for each of them.  
“This is so good, Adora,” Bow remarked as he licked the frosting off his fingers. “What’s the flavor again?”  
“Red velvet.”  
“That’s a weird name for a type of cake,” the queen remarked.  
The part-feline rolled her eyes. “Says the girl who is named ‘Glimmer.’”  
“Yeah, cause your name is perfectly normal.”  
The two went back and forth with their usual banter until they saw Adora sitting stoically, poking the slice of cake in front of her with a fork.  
Catra looked at the couple worriedly, then asked her girlfriend, “you okay, sweetie?”  
“I just thought I would have more fun. It was familiar, but too familiar, if that makes any sense. I was simply following the instructions laid out for me, something I feel like I’ve spent my whole life doing.”  
The brunette girl took her hand and smiled sympathetically. “You just have to remember what Perfuma said. It could take a while for you to find something you really enjoy. It’s only been a few weeks.”  
“But what if she’s wrong,” the blonde said as she frustratingly placed her head in her hands in an attempt to hide the tears that were starting to flow down her face , “what if I’m not good at or find happiness in anything besides fighting and taking orders.”  
“Adora, you have to know that isn’t true. You may not have found something that you’re really passionate about just yet, but you are great at a lot of the things you like. Playing card games, inspiring others, cuddling. Even you have to admit you are great at cuddling.”  
The First One had to laugh a little at that comment, and she suddenly felt three separate beings envelop her in a hug.  
“We are here for you,” Glimmer said softly.  
“Whatever you need,” Bow added.  
The blonde sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. After a few minutes, she was finally somewhat collected and said, “I think right now what I need help in is finishing off this cake.”  
“Well,” Catra said, pretending to weigh her options, “I guess we can make that sacrifice in the name of helping you. But we’re going all in, no forks allowed beyond this point.”  
And so, the Best Friend Squad spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen, eating the red velvet cake right off the platter.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	54. It’s A Big Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow comes to Catra for advice.

Bow flopped down on the couch in the Brightmoon castle’s library, sighing as he landed right next to a certain brunette. “Catra, I need advice.”  
The part-feline didn’t even look up from the book she was reading as she said, “and you think I’m the best person to give it because?”  
“Because I can’t talk to anyone else. This situation involves Glimmer and I love Adora, but she’s not exactly great at dealing with feelings head on like you are. When it comes down to it, you are the only one who can give me solid help, no sugarcoating.”  
“So you only came to me because I was you’re only option?”  
The archer winced, not sure if he had just offended the other. “Yes?”  
“I appreciate that. Okay, lay it on me. Whatever silly relationship problem you’re dealing with, I’ll do my best to pretend to care about it.”  
“That’d be more convincing if you put down your book.”  
Catra sighed in annoyance and closed the object, setting it in her lap. “You’ve got five minutes.”  
“Well, me and Glimmer have been together for a while now, over a year actually. And as much as I love how we are now, I want us to keep on growing, getting closer as the time passes.”  
“Are you saying you want to ask Sparkles to officially move in with you?”  
The son of Lance and George blushed. “I mean, we already live at the same place, but I want us to start sharing a room, yes.”  
“Cool. Let me know how it goes,” the brunette said as she started to pick her book back up.  
“It’s more complicated then that,” he replied swiftly, trying to captivate his friend’s attention again. “I can’t just ask her. If we started sleeping together, we’d most likely end up in her room because it’s the queen’s quarters and it’s much bigger than mine.”  
The former Horde leader gave him a confused glare. “What’s so wrong with that?”  
“I just don’t want it to seem like I’m forcing her to have me move in. I’m worried that if I bring it up, she’ll think she can’t say no because it’ll make her sound like she doesn’t love me.”  
“We all know Glimmer loves you. And Sparkles isn’t a pushover. If she doesn’t want you two to share a room, she’ll tell you to your face, appearances or not.”  
“So, you think I should ask?”  
“I don’t see a reason not to.”  
“I feel like I might be making a bigger deal out of this then what it really is. It’s not like much would change. We’d just be sleeping in the same bed.”  
“People underestimate how special sharing a room can be. It’s not just the sleep, it’s what happens before it that really matters.”  
“Okay, I certainly didn’t come here to talk about that.”  
“That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about coming together at the end of the day and just being with each other, letting go of all the struggles you have faced both together and apart. Knowing that there’s a time and place where you two can just be.”  
Bow blinked. “Wow, Catra, that was actually really beautiful.”  
“Eh, what can I say? Adora’s a softy. Guess that softness has rubbed off on me a little bit. I asked her to stop that, but what can you do?  
“Now, go ask Sparkles your question and let me finally read in peace.”  
It was pretty obvious that Catra felt the conversation was over, so the inventor rushed out of the room and went off to find his girlfriend.  
It didn’t take long. He bumped into her just as he was turning the corner, causing them both to fall over.  
“Oh, Glimmer,” he said as got up and offered her his hand. “I was just looking for you.”  
“Well, that’s good. Cause I was looking for you too. I have something to ask you.”  
“I have something to ask you, too. I was wondering if-“  
“Will you move into my room with me,” the queen blurted out before putting a hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry, I know you were about to say something, but I was so nervous that I had to just get it out.”  
The young man tilted his head. “Why would you be nervous to ask me?”  
“Because it’s a big step. One I think we’re ready for, but I didn’t know if you felt the same way. We agreed to take this slow, and I love that, but it’s been a year and I can’t help but feel it’s time for the two of us to have more.”  
Bow took the young woman’s hands in his own and smiled. “I think so too. That’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Us sharing a room.”  
The sorceress’s eyes sparkled. “It was?”  
“Yeah, it was.”  
Glimmer breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I guess it’s decided then. We are moving in together.”  
The archer quickly picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle as he happily shouted, “we’re moving in together!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I just love the idea of Catra actually being a pretty good advice giver, she just doesn’t show it often because she doesn’t want people coming to her nonstop.


	55. Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Scorpia hang out, just the two of them, and the night ends in singing.

“Ah,” Catra said blissfully as she took a sip from her milkshake. “I’m glad you and me got to hang out tonight, just the two of us. I love everyone in the alliance, but hanging out with all of those princesses can be a little much.”  
“Uh, hate to break it to you,” Scorpia replied, “but I’m a princess too.”  
“Technically, I guess you are. But you’re still a lot less uptight than everyone else.”  
“I don’t think Perfuma is uptight.”  
“Of course you don’t. You’re dating her,” the part-feline said with the roll of her eyes. She then looked over at her companion and put her hand on the other’s claw. “Hey, thanks for agreeing to do this.”  
“No other place I’d rather be, Wildcat.”  
The former Horde leader really hoped that was true. This was their first outing together, just the two of them, since Catra had joined the rebellion. Even though the white haired girl had accepted her apology, she could completely understand if she didn’t want to spend time alone with her. However, her invitation to join her at the Seaworthy pub had been immediately been accepted, with a bone-crunching hug added in for good measure.  
The brunette stirred her straw in a circular motion, hoping it would dissipate some of the inner guilt she felt. “So, how are things with Perfuma by the way?”  
“Oh, they’re great! We’re both really busy with our kingdoms, but we make it a priority to see each other at least once a week.”  
“That’s good. I’m sure you two have a great time.”  
“We do. We do crafts and go on long walks. Sometimes we do nothing at all, just sit together and hold hands,” the princess said with a blush.  
“I’m really happy for you, Scorpia.”  
“Thanks, Wildcat. How’s Adora doing these days?”  
“She’s doing good. Really excited to go into space and magically heal some planets. Has been talking about it nonstop.”  
“Do you really want to go back into space so soon?”  
Catra shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter to me either way. If I’m with her and she’s happy, I’m happy.”  
And she meant it wholeheartedly. It had taken so long for the two of them to find their way back to each other. And now that they finally had, the part-feline was willing to do anything or be anywhere to keep it that way. As long as she had the love of her life by her side, she didn’t care if they were living back at the Fright Zone.  
Or, the former Fright Zone, as Scorpia was trying to make it.  
“You really have changed,” the women with claws for hands observed.  
“I think evolved is a more correct term. But I really am trying to be a better a person and a better friend. I hope it shows.”  
“It does. Believe me, it does.”  
Before their conversation could continue any further, a man with ram’s horns got up on stage and turned on the mic. “Alright, patrons young and old, it’s the night you’ve all been waiting for. For one hour only, any person of any talent is granted permission to show off their skills and captivate is with a song of their choice. Welcome to karaoke night!”  
The rest of the crowd cheered as Catra groaned. “Looks like we picked the wrong night to come here.”  
Her friend blushed with embarrassment, staring at the platform. “Yeah, looks like we did.”  
Oh, right. Scorpia has always loved singing. She used to do it all the time back at the Horde, making up little tunes based on the situation at hand.  
That was, until a certain superior officer told her to stop or she’d lose her position as Force Captain.  
In an attempt to make amends for that, the brunette tilted her head in the direction of the activity. “You should get up there and sing.”  
“What? But you told me that I sucked at singing.”  
“I said a lot of things back then that weren’t true. In reality, you would hum a few notes and the melody would be stuck in my head for days. You have a true talent.”  
“I don’t know, Catra.”  
“Come on, I know you’ve done it before. Perfuma told me all about how you killed it at the Enchanted Grotto with your spy song.”  
The princess smiled at the memory, then stood up. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try again.”  
“No, it wouldn’t.”  
And so, the female walked up to the stage and was handed the microphone from the latest performer.   
The brunette had to admit that while the white haired girl started off a little shaky and hesitant, by the chorus she was dripping with confidence and class. Every note was hit with perfection and the whole crowd seemed to be cast under a spell.  
Once the song had ended, everyone clapped in amazement at the girl’s skill level.  
“Woohoo,” the part-feline shouted, “that’s my best friend up there!”  
Suddenly, a few people in the audience started demanding an encore, which made everyone else in the crowd ask for the very same thing.  
Scorpia had an idea. “How would you all feel about me singing another song with a very special friend of mine?”  
Catra’s eyes widened in panic. Surely she didn’t mean...  
“Catra, come on up.”  
Oh, stars. She had meant her.  
Not wanting the leave her friend in the lurch, the former Horde leader joined her friend onstage and tensed at the audience. Some seemed to be not too happy at the sight of her, probably remembering her from the horrible life she had led in the past.  
“Scorpia,” she muttered under her breath, “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”  
“Don’t worry,” she muttered back, as the song started, a popular tune created to celebrate the end of the war. “Just let the music guide you.”  
So she did just that, closing her eyes and letting the notes lead her voice, mixing a blending with the princess’s. She would never admit it to anyone, but she felt something strange as she sang her heart out, something she usually only felt with Adora.  
She felt free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought writing this chapter would help me accept the fact that we never got to hear Catra sing.
> 
> It didn’t. 
> 
> Scorpia’s song in the show still rocks, though.


	56. A Piece Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra tried to be romantic and gives Adora an accessory.

Glimmer sees Catra in the hall and runs up to her, excited to get some information on the night before. “So, how was your guy’s first anniversary?”  
The part-feline shrugged, not stopping her walk. “It was fine, I guess.”   
“You guess! Do you know how long it took Adora to set up the rooftop? How long it took me to help her?”  
“No, but I can imagine it was a lot of effort and I appreciate it. Now, are we done here? I have places to be.”  
The queen, sensing something was off, grabbed the other’s hand and forced her to stop. “Catra, what happened last night?”  
All she got was a sigh and a mumbled, “you’ll probably think it’s stupid.”  
“If it upsets one of my friends, it’s not stupid. Come on, something must’ve went really wrong for you to be this evasive.”  
The brunette tapped a small object on her shirt and said, “Adora gave me this as an anniversary present last night.”  
The sorceress raised an eyebrow. “Her wing pin? What’s so wrong with that? Did Adora not explain what giving an accessory like that means, because I know it seems like a small gift but in Etherian tradition that’s actually a really grand gest-“  
“No, I know what it means.”  
“Okay, then what’s the problem?”  
“The problem is I didn’t give anything to her in return!”   
“You didn’t get her a gift! I know that this whole dating thing is still a little new to you guys, but it seems pretty obvious bring a gift for the other person.”  
“No, I did get her a gift. A necklace I helped make with Entrapta. But I didn’t have anything personal from me to give her for this whole partner-item-swap thing.”  
“Adora told me and Bow that her headpiece-“  
“Yeah yeah, her mask as She-ra is reflective of my old one. But that doesn’t count, at least not to me. I want her to have something that I felt was important enough to give.”  
“Well, just give her your real mask.”  
“Can’t. I buried it.” Seeing the other girl’s mouth open in confusion, she added, “don’t ask about it.”  
“And there’s nothing else you can give her?”  
“You didn’t really get a whole lot of personal affects in the Horde.”  
“I suppose not.” Glimmer thought for a good five minutes, searching in her mind for something, anything, that could work. But she came up with nothing.  
‘Okay,’ she thought to herself, ‘encouraging speech it is.’  
“Listen, Catra, you don’t have to give   
Adora anything. She’s not expecting you to and the fact that you’re trying to think of something in the first place says enough about how you feel about her. You don’t need to give her some silly object like an earring or a belt to prove that you love her.”  
The part-feline’s eyes lit up and she clutched the object at her waist. “That’s it. I’ll give her my belt.”  
Glimmer’s face displayed pure horror. “Oh Catra, no. I was just naming random accessories. A belt is not a romantic thing to give one’s girlfriend.”  
“Thanks for all the help, Sparkles,” she shouted as she ran down the hall towards her bedroom, clearly ignoring the other’s warning.  
The queen just sighed in defeat and walked in the opposite direction, not having the energy to even attempt to catch up with her.  
————————————————————  
Adora is just waking up from a nap when she feels something drop onto her.  
“Here you go,” Catra says with a genuine smile.  
The blonde rubbed her eyes, then glanced up at her girlfriend. “What is this?”  
“That is my belt.”  
“I know it’s your belt,” she said as she picked it up from her lap. “But what’s it doing being thrown at me. I already told you that you are going to have to put your own clothes away.”  
Realizing her partner didn’t get it, the part-feline’s ears drooped and she turned away. “Never mind. Go back to sleep.”  
The First One quickly got up and stopped the other from leaving. “Catra, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I just don’t know what you are trying to tell me.” She grabbed the others hands and said gently, “but I’d love it if you explained it to me now.”  
The brunette took a deep breathe in and began to explain. “I hated that I didn’t have anything to give you last night. You know, in exchange for the pin.”  
“Oh.”  
“I know you said it’s fine, but I still wanted to give you something you can always wear, a piece of me. I don’t have much, but I thought that maybe I could give you my belt. I’m starting to realize it was a really dumb idea.”  
“Hey, it wasn’t a dumb idea. I love that you wanted to give me something. And I love this belt.”  
“You do?”  
“I do. Because its the same belt you wore when you jumped into my lap on Darlas. It’s the same belt you wore when you refused to leave me at the Heart and kissed me for the first time. A lot of good memories happened while you were wearing this belt.  
“And now,” Adora added as replaced the current accessory at her waist with the new one, “I’m never taking it off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I freaked out when I saw Catra’s mask on She-ra, but I still like the idea that she has something to wear always that reminds her of her love.


	57. The Pleasure Of A Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has a short chat with Swift Wind.

“So, you’re sacred bond with Adora,” Catra starts, trying to make conversation, “how exactly does that work?”  
She honestly didn’t know how she had ended up there, sitting on the ground next to Swift Wind. Maybe it was the fact that Adora was trying another one of her solo activities and the brunette was missing her. Maybe it was the fact that the horse had called her over once he saw her aimlessly walking around the Brightmoon gardens. Maybe it was because she really was curious about their sacred bond.   
In reality, it was likely a combination of all three.  
“It’s hard to explain,” the steed said.  
“But can you like, read her mind?”  
“No, I can just sense her general feelings. Happiness, fear, guilt, stuff like that. I can also sense where she is on Etheria, sort of a She-ra locator.”  
“That’s... actually pretty cool.”  
The flying unicorn looked over towards the girl with sincerity. “She really missed you after she left the Horde, you know.”  
Catra sighed, “not like I missed her.”  
“I don’t know. Whenever you appeared or even if your name was just mentioned, I could feel such a sense of longing.. sometimes mixed with possible hope.”  
The former Horde leader let out a small chuckle. “Seems like we were both idiots. Hoping each other would switch sides and dancing around our true feelings.”  
“Yeah, you two are kind of a mess. But you are together now, and I couldn’t be happier at that fact.”  
“Thanks Swifty. And... thanks for being there for her. When I wasn’t, when I chose not to be.”  
“It was the pleasure of a lifetime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I actually really do enjoy writing Swift Wind and Catra interactions. I actually wouldn’t mind doing more of them.


	58. Made It All Worthwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora talk about what they were like as kids.

“Bow, you really need to calm down,” Catra said as she laid her sleeping bag on the floor. “It’s not that big of a deal.”  
The master archer was practically vibrating with excitement. “It’s a huge deal! This is the first time the four of us have ever had a sleepover together.”  
“What are you talking about? We slept right next to each other at the hideout. And we sleep in the main room together on Darla all the time when we are out in space.”  
“Those don’t count. We were on the run from an evil tyrant or focusing on an important mission. But now that Horde Prime is gone and we are back on Etheria, we can make tonight all about laughter and good times.”  
The brunette had to admit, it was kind of refreshing to not have a care in the world. She could just be with her girlfriend and friends tonight, snacking on junk food and whispering about whatever they felt like.  
Glimmer suddenly entered the room, holding the door open so that Adora could enter while carrying a tray filled to the brim with snacks.  
“Okay, we’ve got milkshakes, popcorn, gummy worms, and cake.”  
“I still think we should’ve added something a little more on the healthy side,” the queen chimed in.  
“The milkshakes all have cherries on them,” the blonde one said as she pointed to the beverages for emphasis. “And they are strawberry milkshakes, so that makes them healthy.”  
“That is not how that works.”  
Catra felt Bow lean into her and whispered loudly, “she piles up on junk food like this every sleepover.”  
The part-feline snorted. “Honestly doesn’t surprise me.”  
“I’m just trying to make up for lost time,” the First One reasoned. “Even when me and Catra were kids and would throw sleepovers, we never had anything to eat besides ration bars. Which reminds me, Bow, I brought that picture you wanted me to show you.”  
“Yay! Can I see it now?”  
“Sure.”  
The former Horde leader tilted her head and looked at the two friends huddled together. “What’s the picture of?”  
The embodiment of She-ra smirked. “Oh nothing, nothing at all. Just a picture of us when we were kids.”  
The short-haired girl yelped out in surprise and leapt at the image, but her girlfriend moved it just beyond her reach.  
Glimmer teleported to the boy and girl and kneeled down next to them. “I wanna see little Catra!”  
The group’s resident regular guy gasped and awed. “Catra, you never told us you looked so cute!”  
“That’s because I didn’t.”  
“And I thought your ears were adorable now. But back then? Oh man, they look so precious.”  
“I still have the ability to kill you, you know that right?”  
“Oh, lighten up,” Adora said as she turned the photo around so her partner could see it. “You have to admit, even back then we made a pretty adorable pair.”  
The girl leaned in and studied the object intensely. The two girls in the image, who were definitely Adora and Catra, looked to be about seven or eight. The blonde appeared to be holding the camera towards them, smiling brightly despite the depressing environment that was evident in the background. The part-feline had an annoyed look on her face, but still stared directly at the camera, as if she had figured that that was the only way for the photo shoot to end.  
“I have absolutely no memory of this,” she said as she took the photo in her hands. “How did you even take this or get your hands on it after all these years?”  
“I had found a camera among a pile of junk one day and forced you to take a picture with me. I had it taped to the inside of my locker all throughout our childhood. Last time we were in the Fright Zone helping out Scorpia, I looked for it and lo and behold it was still there, in the exact same place I had left it.”  
The sorceress smiled. “Wow. Even back then it was obvious you two had a really special bond.”  
“Only because I couldn’t get this dummy to leave me alone,” Catra said smugly as she popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth.  
“Hey, I wasn’t the one who insisted we slept in the same bed every night.”  
“You didn’t object to it though.”  
Bow laid on his stomach and put his head in his hands, listening to the conversation expectantly. “You know, you never have told us about what Adora was like as a kid.”  
“Eh, same as she is now. Had her hair in a ponytail, highly competitive, had an annoying hero complex.”  
“Hey,” the blonde chided, playfully elbowing the love of her life in the ribs.  
“What about Catra? Did she alway like to blow stuff up as much as she does now.”  
“Oh yeah. She has always been stubborn and reckless, but the kind that sounded too fun to pass up on.”  
“I was the only reason she ever broke any of the Horde’s rules at all.”  
“That’s most likely true,” the First One said. Then, suddenly, a huge smile appeared on her face as she glanced at the photo and added, “growing up in the Fright Zone sucked the majority of the time. But getting to grow up with you made it all worthwhile.”  
The part-feline couldn’t help but grin at that statement. “Yeah. In the end, every bit was worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. In “Princess Scorpia,” there’s a photo of the super pal trio together, so I don’t find too it unrealistic for their to be a picture of the two to be floating around somewhere. And you know Adora would track it down just so she could tease Catra with it.


	59. My Best Friend In The Whole Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer tries on her wedding gown.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Bow called out to his fiancée, who was getting ready in the couple’s bathroom. “It’s bad luck.”  
“It’s fine, Bow,” Glimmer assured him through the door for the fiftieth time this hour. “Catra, Adora, tell him it’s fine.”  
“It’s fine,” Adora parroted, reassuringly putting her hand on top of his.  
Catra sat on the other side of her girlfriend, her arm around the woman’s shoulder. She looked positively bored. “What’s so bad about seeing Sparkles in her wedding dress anyway? It’s just a dress.”  
“It’s based on some stupid superstition that looking at it before the bride walks down the isle brings the marriage bad luck,” the queen explained as she finished zipping up the garment.  
The part-feline scoffed. “If people think looking at an outfit ruins a relationship, then they shouldn’t get married in the first place.”  
“It’s not that I think our relationship will be ruined,” the master archer said hurriedly. “I just want to do this wedding right.”  
The sorceress huffed in annoyance. “I’m Queen of Brightmoon. The advisors are already forcing me to do everything else in this wedding ‘right.’ So many stupid traditions and customs and rules. I think we can overlook this one. Now, I’m coming out.”  
“No! I can’t do this, I’m leaving.”  
The brunette grabbed his hand and pulled him down before he could fully get off the couch. “Not so fast, Arrow Boy.”  
Glimmer decided to make one last case before she walked out towards the others. “Bow, I love you and I want this wedding to be perfect for the both of us. So if it is really important to you, you can leave the room right now and I won’t be mad. But understand that you’re my best friend in the whole universe and I would really appreciate your input and support in this.”  
The inventor had no choice. How could walk out on words as sweet as those?   
“Okay. You can come out now.”  
“You’re sure?”  
“I’m sure.”  
Glimmer walked out of the other room and stood in front of her friends, huge smile spread across her face.  
“Wow,” the blonde said in awe, “you look stunning.”  
Catra whistled. “If he doesn’t marry you I will.”  
The dress was an off the shoulder ball gown, pure white in color with strategically placed sparkling glitter, making an image of branches spreading out until halfway up the skirt.  
“So,” the queen said, turning to her fiancé, “how do I look?”  
The man was almost completely speechless. Seeing her like this, so happy, so radiant, so beautiful... well, it made him all the more excited to one day soon get to call her his wife.  
“It’s beautiful. Almost as beautiful as you.”  
“And would you look at that,” the part-feline said as she stood up from the couch, “the world didn’t implode because you saw the dress.”  
“We’re gonna head down for dinner,” Adora explained as the couple walked towards door. “Come join us whenever you’re ready.”  
The engaged pair didn’t come down for a while, instead staying in the room, holding each other, happy that they got share this experience together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> If you’re curious, this image is what I based the dress off of:   
> https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4000333270541.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail


	60. No Label

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad has a bonfire and discovers one of their own has been keeping a secret.

“Adora, how many times do I have to say I’m sorry?”  
The blonde folded her arms and refused to look at her girlfriend. “I don’t care if you’re sorry. You should’ve told me.”  
“I know and I’m so-“  
“Stop saying that!”  
Bow and Glimmer glanced at each other, worried about the couple.   
They had decided that given the drop in the temperature due to the coming fall, it would be nice for the Best Friend Squad to have a campfire. A time for them to roast marshmallows, wish on stars, and just be happy together.  
That all seemed to go up in flames the second Adora arrived mad at Catra.  
“Okay,” Glimmer said, hoping to get the night back on track, “why don’t you tell us what’s going on? That way, we can help you move past it and I can finally have a s’more. And please don’t tell me you played Monopoly again.”  
“No. Catra’s been lying to me,” the blonde huffed.  
“I never lied to you! Just...omitted certain pieces of the truth.”  
“And that makes it all better?”  
Bow sighed deeply, pinching his nose. “What has she been lying- sorry, omitting the truth to you about?”  
“Adora, I swear if you tell them anything-“  
“She’s been singing with Scorpia at the Seaworthy Pub,” the First One shouted, pointing her finger at the brunette.  
“Are you kidding me,” the queen yelled. “That’s what you two are fighting about? Some stupid karaoke night?”  
“Not night. Nights. Apparently they do it all the time. Solos, duets, drunken group songs with randomly selected audience members. It happens at least a couple times a month. I only found out about it because Scorpia accidentally let it slip out when I video-chatted her today.”  
The sorceress’s jaw dropped. “That’s where you’ve been doing all those nights?”  
“It’s not like I planned it,” the part-feline tried to explain. “She asked me to sing with her and I didn’t want to let her down. So I did it, and it turned out I actually really liked it. It was my first time singing in front of anyone and it was fun. What’s so wrong with that?”  
“Nothing is wrong with that part,” her girlfriend said, looking down at the ground. “I want you to have fun. It just hurts that you felt you couldn’t tell me about it. Like you thought me knowing would ruin it.”  
“I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone about it.”  
“But I’m not just anyone.”  
“I don’t get it,” the master archer interjected, “why not say you were singing? You know we all would’ve supported you.”  
Catra mumbled something under her breathe.  
“Huh?”  
“It’s embarrassing! I’m not supposed to enjoy singing. I led a regime that almost conquered the entire planet. Even now, I’m the tough one of the group, the one who gets annoyed at all your guy’s stupid antics. What would it look like if you guys found out I was singing?”  
“Catra, in this group you don’t have to be anything other than who you truly are. There’s no label we expect you to fit into.”  
“And just because you sing doesn’t mean you still can’t be Horde Scum,” Glimmer added.  
The blonde put her hand on Catra’s shoulder. “I’m sorry if we- if I- ever made you feel like you had some role you had to fill. We all need you because you’re you, and for no other reason.   
“And, if you’re comfortable with it, I’m sure we would all love to hear you sing.”  
The brunette looked to the others, who nodded encouragingly, Bow even picking up his guitar and strumming out a melody for her.   
And so, the rest of the night was filled with roasting marshmallows, wishing on stars, and the soothing voice of the newest member of the squad filling the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I received the prompt for this story this morning and I could not get it out of my head for the rest of the day. I hope you all enjoyed it, thanks again for reading!


	61. Even After All These Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora spar.

“You know,” Catra said as she lunged at the other girl, “I’m starting to remember just how much I missed this.”  
Adora blocked the attack with her spear, pushing the brunette onto the grass. “What, attacking me?”  
“No, dummy,” she said as she quickly got up and into a fighting stance. “Training with you. Seeing your fighting skills when it’s actually not a life or death situation.”  
“It is rather nice. It’s been years since we’ve sparred together,” the blonde said as she thrusted her spear, missing the other by only a hair due to the part-feline’s quick reflexes.  
“Ha, guess even after all these years, you’re still the world’s slowest person.”  
“Better than having the world’s biggest ego,” the First One said as she advanced.  
Suddenly, Catra lunged once against her girlfriend, taking the other by surprise and pinning her down.  
Adora stared up at her girlfriend, both breathing heavily from the exercise. “You’re still really good at this.”  
“No surprise there.”  
Now it was the blonde’s turn to initiate a sneak attack. She grabbed the other by the waist and crashed their lips together.  
The brunette kissed back, then pulled away, smiling. “That was not because I like you.”  
“Really? Could’ve fooled me.”  
“That’s because you’re super easy to fool.”  
“Hey!”  
The part-feline chuckled playfully as the two stood up. “Go shower, you’re all sweaty.”  
“I mean, I could. Or we could stay out here a little longer and continue kissing.”  
“Not with you still smelling like that. But maybe if you hurry, I’d be willing to pick up right where we left off afterwards.”  
Catra had never seen her partner rush off as fast as she did just then.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the idea of them training together now that they’re not, you know, trying to kill each other. Can’t believe they’ve been canon for a month. As always, thanks for reading.


	62. The Purest Demonstration Of Trust, Companionship, And Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer and Bow get married.

“Catra, we really have to get up now.”  
The part-feline wrapped her arms tightly around Adora, refusing to let her leave the bed. “Do we though? It’s not like we’re the ones getting married.”  
“But our best friends are,” the blonde said as she worked her way out of the embrace. “And we are a part of the ceremony, me as Maiden of Honor and you as Best Cat.”  
The brunette groaned, “I really hate Bow for choosing that name.”  
“Come on,” the other said as she playfully hit the other with a pillow, “we have to get dressed.”  
————————————————————  
Glimmer sat in front of the vanity in her room as Perfuma brushed her fingers through the queen’s hair and applied her makeup.  
She looked over at Adora and asked, “have you seen Bow today?”  
The flower princess immediately told her to stop talking and moving around so much.  
“No,” the First One answered, “but Catra’s with him now.”  
“I just hope he’s okay,” the sorceress stated, causing Perfuma to scold her again. “Big events like this can sometimes put him on edge.”  
“I’m sure he’s fine, Glimmer. The two of you are getting married. This is the happiest day of his life.”  
————————————————————  
“This is the scariest day of my life,” Bow squealed, causing Catra’s tail to immediately spike up at the sudden loud noise.  
“Relax, Arrow Boy. Plus, I think it’s a little late to back out now.”  
“I have no intentions of backing out. I love Glimmer, and I love that I’m finally going to marry her. I just worry I’m going to make a fool of myself. What if I trip or something?”  
“Than I’ll laugh and mock you mercilessly.”  
“Come on, Catra, be serious.”  
“I seriously would laugh at you,” the brunette said with a smirk as she straightened the master archer’s bow tie. “You need to stop worrying so much. The more you panic over things going wrong, the more likely it is that they will. Just enjoy the day.”  
The groom took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling. “You’re right. Thanks, Catra. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend to be my Best Cat.”  
“Say that phrase one more time and I kill you at the alter.”  
————————————————————  
A few hours later, Bow was standing in the Brightmoon gardens at the alter in his white suit, abs exposed. He looked out into the large crowd that was seated on either side of the isle.  
He spotted his dads in the group, as well as all of the people he had befriended on his travels were there to support him and Glimmer on their special day. Mermista And Sea Hawk, who were checked for flammable substances upon arrival. Perfuma was sitting next to Scorpia, the only one in the audience who was already crying. Entrapta was walking around the space, having been assigned to capture the day’s moments with pictures and videos. Spinerella and Netossa, seated in the front row, hand in hand and smiling radiantly. He hardly had time to spot all of his friends, there were so many.  
Music began to play, and Catra and Adora walked down the isle in matching lilac purple, arms linked. Once they reached the end, the part-feline gave her girlfriend a chaste kiss on the forehead and they split apart, standing on opposite sides of the master archer.  
Knowing what was coming next, the crowd stood and watched as the queen entered the area, side by side with her dad.  
————————————————————  
It was when her dad kissed her cheek and she turned to face Bow that she realized how unneeded the whole event was. Her dress with it’s matching gloves and veil, the arch covered in flowers that were the official colors of Brightmoon, even the audience looking at the two of them right that very instant.   
She would be fine if it all vanished in a second. Because she had Bow and her friends by her side, and that was all she needed.  
Castaspella, who was officiating the ceremony, took her place and spoke loudly, “we are here today to celebrate the union of two souls, Queen Glimmer and Master Archer Bow, who have decided to start this next chapter in there lives together. They have chosen the official witnesses of this marriage to be She-ra, Princess of Power and Rebellion Fighter Catra. Do you two accept these roles?”  
Both females nodded.  
“Marriage is a sacred bond. It is not something to be entered into lightly or ended swiftly. It is the purest demonstration of trust, companionship, and sacrifice. It is with that in mind that I ask if anyone has any reason these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”  
No one in the crowd said a word, perhaps in part to murderous look Catra had cast upon the crowd, almost daring anyone to object.  
The queen’s aunt then turned the ceremony over to the couple for their vows and ring exchanges, Bow going first.  
“Glimmer,” he said as he gently took her hands in his, “from the moment I saw you, I knew you were going to be in my life forever. You had such a fire in your eyes, a desire to change the whole world. And you’ve done that, you’ve helped change the whole universe in fact. But that fire still hasn’t gone out of your eyes and I don’t think it ever will. And that’s one of the many reasons I love you. You’re fierce and wild and everything I could ever ask for in a soulmate. I love you with ever fiber of my being and am so happy you’ve agreed to take this next step with me.”  
“Bow, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you in it. I think meeting you was the day my life truly began. You’ve taught me so much about friendship and love. You believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. You never let anything hold you back. I could never ask for a better person to share my life with. All the things we’ve been through- the successes and the failures, the joys and the sorrows- have led us to where we are know. I can’t wait for the next chapter in our life, the one we’ve chosen to write together.”  
The couple exchanged rings, simple gold bands with a heart and crescent moon interlocking etched into them. Before Castaspella could even finish the official decree of their marriage, the two simultaneously leaned in and kissed each other passionately, causing the guest to cheer with vigor.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter is planned to be the reception!


	63. I Want To Spend The Rest Of My Life With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Speeches are made a familiar dances are danced at Glimmer and Bow’s wedding reception.

“It certainly was a shock to see how much Glimmer had grown up when I finally came back into her life,” Micah said to the room, being the first to give a toast at the reception, “but I couldn’t have been more proud of the woman she had become and the friends she had made. Adora once told me about how Angella felt about Bow, how she had loved him and would’ve been elated to hear about the start of his relationship with our daughter. Having gotten to know my now son-in-law over these past years, I can say that I wholeheartedly agree. My wife, wherever she is, is just as happy about this union as I am. May your marriage be filled with love and harmony, baby girl.”  
Glimmer rose from her seat at the main table and hugged her dad fiercely, tears streaming down her face.  
Next to give a speech was Bow’s parents, taking turns reading off of something they had prepared beforehand.   
“For a long time, we saw Bow as this shy bookworm who wanted to follow in our footsteps and become a historian. We thought we were being supportive, but really we were seeing what we wanted to see, not the clever fighter and inventor her was. So words cannot express how grateful we are to Glimmer for immediately supporting him for who he is and standing by him when he told us the truth. Even though the two of you just got married, Glimmer, you became a part of our family a long time ago. We wish you two all the happiness in the world.”  
George and Lance then passed the microphone to Adora.  
“Everyone here knows that I didn’t have a normal childhood. Being raised in the Horde makes it instinct to be untrusting and adverse to princesses. So when I first met Bow and Glimmer, I thought they were my enemies. But in just a few hours they showed me a whole new world, one that was filled with beautiful possibilities and strong friendships. When I found out that you two were a couple, I was surprised, but also happy. Happy that my two best friends had found the greatest happiness possible in this lifetime. Today they were able to declare their love in front of their friends and family, and I had the pleasure of being a witness to it. Thank you both for being the best friends anyone could ever ask for, I love you both so much, and I’m looking forward to seeing where your journey takes you next.”  
And lastly, Catra walked up to her girlfriend, gave her a short kiss, and decided it was her turn to speak.  
“Hey everybody, it’s Best Cat!”  
“Can it, Mermista,” the brunette spat, annoyed. Then she took a deep breathe and began her toast. “I’ve know the happy couple for about as long as Adora has, although we spent a lot more time as enemies than a few short hours. For a long time I hated them- I felt they were taking away my best friend. Little did I know that they’d eventually become my best friends too. Not just that, they’d become my family. They are my family.   
“When they first got engaged, I had no idea what marriage was or why it mattered. But Bow showed me it’s importance, the value in telling the other, ‘you matter to me and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’ And that’s exactly what these two did today. Sparkles and Arrow Boy, I know how much you mean to each other, and I hope you both know how much you mean to Adora and I. So let’s all raise a glass to the newlyweds!”  
————————————————————  
After all the speeches were given and a several course meal was enjoyed, the real party began. The desert table was well stocked and the dance floor was packed.   
A few songs in, Adora immediately perked up at a familiar tune. She grabbed the sleeve of her girlfriend’s suit and excitedly said, “Catra, it’s our song!”  
“What are you talking about? We don’t have a song.”  
“Don’t you remember? This is what was playing the time we danced together at Princess Prom!”  
“We both still hated each other at the time. Wouldn’t exactly call that a romantic memory.”  
The blonde raised an eyebrow suggestively. “You mean to tell me there wasn’t any homoerotic undertones in that dance? Even with the dip?”  
All the part-feline could do was blush and stutter.   
“That’s what I thought. Now dance with me!”  
Knowing there was no hope in escaping, Catra sighed and let the love of her life lead her to the dance floor.   
“I really liked the toast you gave,” the First One said. “All that stuff about marriage and it’s importance.”  
“Adora, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were cooking up some evil plan to get me to propose to you someday.”  
The brunette managed to catch her girlfriend’s rolling eyes just as they switched partners, first ending up with Scorpia.  
“Hey, Wildcat. Great shindig, huh.”  
“Yeah, it was truly something, if not a bit over the top.”  
She then danced with Glimmer.  
The queen smiled brighter than usual. “Thanks for the toast, and being Bow’s Best- well, you know.”  
The girl just shrugged. “It was the least I could do.”  
“Well,” the bride said with a wink, “we’d be more than happy to return the favor someday.”  
She then found her way back to Scorpia, who appeared to be lost in a daydream.   
“What you thinking about?”  
“How nice it would be for me and Perfuma to do something like this. It’s awfully romantic, isn’t it?”  
Catra couldn’t help but smile as she looked at her own life partner. “Yeah, it kind of is.”  
“You know, maybe my plan won’t work. But then again,” Adora said sultrily as she dipped the other woman, “maybe it already has.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t plan that ending until I was writing it! Sometimes I surprise even myself. Thanks for reading.


	64. The Big Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months after Glimmer and Bow’s wedding, Scorpia and Perfuma have and announcement to make.

“Okay,” Bow said as the Best Friend Squad made there way to Scorpia and Perfuma’s home in Plumeria, “does anyone have any idea what this grand surprise is?”  
“Not a clue” Adora replied. “But Scorpia sounded really excited in the voice message she left us, so it’s got to be something good.”  
“I love Scorpia, but everything makes her really excited,” Catra chimed in. “Though, she had mentioned at the wedding that she would like to do something like that with Perfuma. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were engaged.”  
They were only a few feet away from the house when Scorpia came rushing out the door, enveloping them all in a tight, bone-crushing hug. “You guys came!”  
A few minutes later, the guests from Brightmoon and the homeowners were all sitting in the house’s living room, the hosts clearly excited.  
“So what’s the big surprise,” Glimmer said with curiosity as she took a sip of tea.  
“Okay,” the white haired woman started, “I want you all to know that even though this may seem very spontaneous and out of the blue, me and Perfuma have been talking about it for a while and gave it a lot of thou-“  
The part-feline groaned. “Please just tell us you’re getting married already.”  
Perfuma quirked her eyebrow. “Married? Oh, no we didn’t get engaged. We adopted.”  
The queen spit out her tea in shock, “like...a kid?”  
“Scorpia, do you want to go get the girls now?”  
The brunette’s jaw dropped. “You adopted more than one!”  
The princess of Plumeria nodded, “sisters, in fact. Ages six and four. Their biological parents died at the very end of Horde Prime’s invasion.”  
“Where did you even find them?”  
“We decided a few weeks ago to check out an orphanage, just to get the adoption process going, meet some of the kids. Got a lot more out of that visit then what we were expecting. What can I say? They simply stole our hearts.”  
Tears started to fill in the master archer’s eyes. “This is just melting my heart.”  
Catra, on the other hand, seemed more skeptical. “Are you sure you guys are ready for this? That’s a lot of responsibility to take on all of the sudden.”  
“It’s just like Scorpia said, this is something we’ve been thinking about for a while now. And we’re taking it slow, allowing the kids time to trust us as their guardians, not expecting them to acclimate right away. This is actually the first time they’re meeting any of our friends that we don’t see on a daily basis.”  
Suddenly, Scorpia came back into the room, one of her pincers holding hands with a small girl, who was in turn using her other hand to hold onto an even smaller girl.  
The princess of Plumeria giggled with a smile. “Bow, Glimmer, Adora, and Catra, meet Elysia and Willow.”  
Catra took one look at them and could tell that they were definitely siblings. Despite the older one having red hair and the younger having black, they both had the same green eyes, the same pointed ears, and the same skin that appeared to be almost a light blush.  
The sisters were intrigued at the group, but also hesitant to make the first move. Adora seemed to pick up on this and decided to walk over to them, stopping a few feet away and crouching to their eye level.  
“Hey guys, my name is-“  
The oldest- Elysia- interrupted her before she could go any further with her introduction. “We know who you are!”  
“She-ra,” Willow added with an enthusiastic yell.  
The blonde blinked. “You know about She-ra?”  
The redhead rolled her eyes, “everyone knows about She-ra.”  
“Yeah Adora,” Catra mocked from the couch, “everyone knows about She-ra. Get with the program.”  
“We also showed them pictures of you guys and told them who you were,” Perfuma added, “so that way they’d feel a bit more comfortable when you came. They still are hesitant around complete strangers.”  
Her girlfriend smiled and looked at Adora. “We may have also said that if the girls asked nicely, She-ra might give them a piggyback ride.”  
The blonde looked expectantly towards the children. “Are you guys up for that?”  
“Yes please!”  
“Well then, I think we can work something out. For the honor of Grayskull!”  
————————————————————  
The next several hours flew by in an instant for the group, all taking turns introducing themselves to and entertaining the kids in the yard. Adora gave them rides on her back and shoulders as promised, as well as told them stories about all her adventures. Bow blew bubbles and played hand games. Glimmer used her magic to make illusions dance around before their very eyes. Willow and Elysia watched with fascination as Catra retracted and unsheathed her claws and excitedly ran away from her when she started chasing them.  
However, the time came for the Best Friend Squad to return back to Brightmoon, with the promise of returning soon. But just before they left, the part-feline took Scorpia aside and had a one-on-one chat with her.  
“I just want to say that I think you’re doing an amazing thing here, Scorpia.”  
“Really? I know this is something you would never do.”  
“True, but I’m not you. Spontaneity like this scares me to death, but it’s always done well for you. Because you follow your heart, and it’s pretty obvious that you and Perfuma love these girls a lot.”  
The princess smiled dreamily, “Yeah, we really do.”  
The brunette decided to be a little spontaneous herself and, for once, initiate a hug between the two of them. “I’ll call you in a few days, alright?”  
The white haired girl nodded, then went back inside the house, about to help prepare dinner for her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Also, how many of you were like Catra and thought they were engaged?


	65. Never Too Late To Reach Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora are invited to a special ceremony involving Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio. But the part-feline has some reservations.

Adora, Glimmer and Bow were all sitting in the dining room, chatting, when Catra walked in paper in hand.  
“Hey Catra, I was wondering where you had gone off to this morning.”  
“One of the guards said they had something to give me,” she replied as she walked up behind her girlfriend’s chair. “Sweetie, do you know what a handfasting ceremony is?”  
“Um... no.”  
“It’s an event that celebrates the union of a couple,” the queen interjected, “basically like a wedding, but with ropes tying your hands together instead of rings being placed on your fingers.”  
“Well,” the part-feline said as she passed the paper to the blonde, “you and me are invited to one.”  
The First One looked shocked as she read the invitation. “Kyle, Lonnie and Rogelio?”  
“That’s who it says the ceremony’s for.”  
“Wait,” Bow said, “those three are all in a relationship together?”  
“We already new that. They told Catra about it the last time they spoke to each other.”  
“They also told me they didn’t want any contact with me for the foreseeable future.”  
The embodiment of She-ra shrugged. “It has been three years. Maybe this invitation is there way of saying they are ready to start a new chapter in our relationship with them.”  
“Maybe.”  
Adora, who saw that her partner seemed uneasy about the whole idea of going, placed a hand on the other and said, “hey, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to. We can always said a gift with a letter giving our congratulations. Just think about it for a little while and tell me what you want.”  
————————————————————  
Catra took the day to decide how she wanted to approach the invite. While she knew Adora was right, they could always make up an excuse for why they weren’t coming and still send a present, she worried it might send the wrong message. That it would make it seem like they didn’t want any contact and were just trying to be polite about it.  
This was all so confusing. She needed some solid advice.  
So she contacted Scorpia.  
The princess instantly accepted the chat, greeting her with a, “hey Wildcat!”  
“That was an awfully fast response time.”  
“Well, I got my invitation to the handfasting ceremony and assumed you had as well. Figured you would need someone to talk to.”  
“I just hope I’m not interrupting your time with the girls.”  
“Nah, Perfuma took them to go pick some berries, just the three of them. I’m enjoying being in a quite house for once.”  
The brunette let out a small chuckle, then thought back to what her friend had just said a few seconds ago. “You’re invited to the ceremony?”  
“Yeah, but I can’t come. Got a lot of stuff going on, what with the kids and restoring Horror Hall in my kingdom. Perfuma and I sent a nice fruit basket as a gift, though.”  
“That’s nice.”  
“But I have a feeling you didn’t contact me just to see if I was invited or not.”  
“I... I’m wondering if I should go. Adora says that this invitation probably means they are ready for us to start talking again, but I’m worried they just think they have to to be polite.”  
“I doubt that’s the case. And even if it was, going might be a good way to make amends.”  
“But is their ceremony really the best time and place?” Catra sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “This weekend is supposed to be about them and celebrating their journey to their special day. I don’t want serve as a reminder of the really painful parts of that journey.”  
“You need to stop overthinking this. You’d be going to this event as an invited guest wanting to show support, not a party crasher who wants to stir up bad memories. It’s up to you whether you go or not, but if you don’t go, don’t do it because you’re scared. You of all people should know how few chances we have to make things right.”  
The brunette thought about this for a long time, then gave a small smile. “Thanks, Scorpia. I’d love to stick around and chat, but I better start figuring out what I’m going to wear to the ceremony.”  
“You got this, Wildcat.”  
————————————————————  
Even though the event was out in the middle of the Crimson Waste, it turned out to be not as hot as Catra had feared it would be. The throuple had picked a beautiful location, a small, hidden oasis with plenty of trees for shade and a small, clear lake of water.   
Both Adora and Catra wore jumpsuits to the handfasting ceremony, different in style and design, but same in peachy-orange color. They placed their wrapped gift on the designated table and took their seats.  
It didn’t take long for the service to start, Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle, all dressed in off-white making their way to the front and holding hands on each side, so that they were all linked together.  
In front of the three was a man the part-feline has never seen before, but, given the fact that he was holding rope, she could assume he would be leading.  
“The purpose of this ritual,” he started, “is to physically demonstrate the bond these three Etherians have for each other. A bond that nothing can break- not time, not distance, not even death. None of them are connected to one and not the other, just as this union is not based on the wants and wishes of one or two, but is fueled by the hopes and dreams of all three.  
“I will know bond their hands with these pieces of rope, and the knot that is formed will forever symbolize the link they have created to each other. As I do, Kyle, Rogelio, and Lonnie have decided to recite traditional vows together.”  
The three began to speak (though with Rogelio no one in the audience could really understand what he was saying), saying, “today I am entering a union. This tradition goes back centuries and has been done a thousands times and will be done a thousand times more. But I am not here for the sake of tradition. I am here to join hands with the ones that I love, whose hands will lift me up when others seek to tear me down. Hands that will provide a gentle touch where others give striking blows. Hands that heal and cherish and love. May the guidance of Etheria’s many moons help us on this path, a path we will now never walk alone.”  
————————————————————  
The reception that followed was a lot more casual then the one at Glimmer and Bow’s wedding, to which Catra was extremely grateful for. It was held right next to the ceremony spot, the only decor added being the table now displaying the knots that had just been recently tied. The small crowd was mingling and enjoying some light appetizers and simple deserts, which were located at a long, buffet-like table.  
That was where Adora and her girlfriend were when Lonnie approached the two.  
“Hey, Lonnie,” the blonde said enthusiastically, “it was a really nice ceremony.”  
“Thanks. It was short and sweet, just like we all wanted it to be.”  
The part-feline panicked, trying to think of something to say to add to the conversation. Deciding that the best thing to do would be to offer congratulations, she said, “I’m really happy for the three of you. Thanks for inviting us.”  
“I’m glad we did. At first, me and Rogelio were a little hesitant- not in that we didn’t want you to come, but we feared it was too late to initiate contact. But Kyle reminded us that it is never too late to reach out, and that a lot had changed over these past three years.” She looked her former commanding officer up and down and added, “The fact that you, of all people, are wearing a floral color is proof of that.”  
Catra shrugged. “What can I say, being with a goofball for so long tends to have a certain side effect to it.”  
The First One elbowed her partner. “I’m right here you know.”  
“I know exactly what you mean,” the woman in white said, moving her gaze to Kyle, who was trying to fit a whole slice of cake into his mouth. “I better go make sure he doesn’t choke.”  
And just like that, it was just the two of them standing there.  
“Hey,” the brunette said to her girlfriend as she took her hand. “I’m glad we came. I think it was really good for us to come visit now, when we are all in much better places in our lives.”  
Adora smiled. “I think so too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! In case anyone is interested in my thoughts on this, I imagine that instead of rings, the three get bracelets woven out of the three knots that were tied. That’s their reminder of the commitment they made.
> 
> Gosh, I think about this show and it’s characters way too much.


	66. A Nickname?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra wakes up to Adora making a list.

Catra opened her eyes to blindingly bright colors.  
This was only her fourth night spent at the Brightmoon palace, and she knew it would take a while for her to adjust to living here. Still, she wasn’t quite sure if she’d ever get used to all the pinks and purples.  
“Oh, you’re up! Good, now you can start helping me with this.”  
The part-feline turned her gaze to the spot in bed next to her, where Adora was sitting upright, holding a pencil and staring at a piece of paper.  
The brunette immediately swiped the objects away from the blonde. “Nope. It’s too early for this.”  
“Catra,” the First One whined as she reached for her things, “give it back.”  
“You do realize we saved to universe only a couple weeks ago, right? You don’t need to be up at the crack of dawn making lists about.... wait. What is this?” It was a list alright, but none of it made any sense. It was just a list of about a dozen words. Words like ‘honey’ and ‘ginger cakes’. Catra held up the paper, confused. “Is this some weird grocery list?”  
“No,” the other said with a blush, “I’m trying to find an endearing nickname for you.”  
“A nickname? What’s wrong with Catra?”  
“Nothing’s wrong with it. I just want something cute to call you when the situation warrants it. Like you did.”  
“I have never called you something as ridiculous as ‘ginger cakes.’”  
“Okay, I’m going to say you are not a fan of that one based off your tone,” Adora said as she crossed that pet name off of the sheet. “And you may have never called me that, but you did call me sweetie.”  
The part-feline eyes went wide. She had hoped her partner had been so focused on the nightmare that first night together that she hadn’t noticed the slip of her tongue. Deciding to not admit to it for the time being, she said, “pfft. I never said that. You must be loosing your mind.”  
“Catra, it’s okay. We’re girlfriend’s now, you can call me things like that without feeling embarrassed. Besides, I actually really liked hearing it.”  
The brunette blinked in surprise. “You did?”  
The embodiment of She-ra nodded. “It made me feel safe and loved. Of course, I always feel like that with you. But, I don’t know, just that gentle reminder of it made it all the more real. Now I want to do the same for you. I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”  
The former Horde leader smiled. She couldn’t quite believe that after all of those times they had hurt each other, they were now literally spending their mornings thinking of ways to make the other person happy.  
“Then let’s have a look at that list.”  
Catra skimmed through the bullet points, hoping to found something she liked. But in the end, all she could say was, “Adora- sweetie-, I love you for doing this but all of this names... they suck.”  
The First One dropped her head in shame. “I know. I tried really hard, but I couldn’t think of anything that struck a chord with me. I was thinking of doing something cat-related, but I remember that Double Trouble already does that.”  
“Also, why are these all related to food?”  
“I was getting hungry. Still really am, actually.”  
The brunette should’ve figured the other hadn’t eaten yet. She tossed the paper aside and said, “alright. Let me go down to the kitchen and bring us back something to eat. Then we can continue the search.”  
“Thanks, beautiful!”  
Catra stopped dead in her tracks on the way to the door. “What did you just call me?”  
“Um...beautiful.”  
The part-feline thought it over for a moment, then stated, “I like it.”  
Adora gasped, practically jumping up and down on the bed. “You do?”  
“It’s certainly better than “my little strawberry’ or ‘gumdrop.’”  
“Hey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and thanks for 20k hits. I’m completely blown away.


	67. I Really Do Love Festivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a silly little chapter about Adora taking Catra to her first festival.

“So,” Catra started, drawing out the word, “this is a festival.”  
Adora nodded. “I went to my first one when Bow and Glimmer first met me. All the foods and activities were so exciting. I’m so happy I finally get to show you all the same stuff.”  
“Listen, I’m happy that you want to share this experience with me, but don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think I’m exactly the festival type.”  
“Well, I’m just going to have to prove you wrong. For example, look at all these cute animals! That one’s a deer, that’s a squirrel, this one is a-“  
“Adora, I know what animals are.”  
“Oh, right,” the blonde said, contemplating what she should show her girlfriend next. Her eyes lit up and she asked, “have you ever tried cotton candy though?”  
“Can’t say that I have.”  
“Great! Let’s go,” she shouted as she dragged the other to get some.  
The First One got two of the pink treats, one for each of them. She waited eagerly as the other took her first bite.  
“This just tastes like pure sugar.”  
“That’s the point! You got to admit it’s good.”  
The part-feline shrugged. “It’s okay,” she said, even though she devoured the whole thing with lightning speed.  
The couple roamed the area for the rest of the day, enjoying all the festivities that were offered. They listened to storytellers, smashed a piñata, and had a lot more food than they probably should’ve.   
Catra seemed to be having an okay time. But for Adora, that wasn’t enough. She wanted her girlfriend to have a great time.  
Just when she thought it was useless to stay any longer, the brunette stopped them both in their tracks and shouted, “Adora, look!”  
The First One turned her head a spotted what appeared to be an obstacle course, identical versions of a track laying side by side, filled with hurdles and climbing walls and other numerous obstacles. It seemed as if you were supposed to race against your companions and see who came out on top.  
“I bet I can kick your butt,” the part-feline smugly challenged.  
“Oh, it’s on.”  
And that’s how they both ended up crouching down in a starting position, both speeding off like a rocket once they were given the signal to go.  
First their was the hurdle jump, at which both girls excelled. Then came the monkey bars, where Catra was able to obtain the upper hand and continued to keep it for the next several challenges. However, Adora was able to catch up and get ahead at the mud crawl due to the part-feline’s disdain for anything remotely related to water. Lastly came the climbing wall and while Adora had a lot of upper body strength, she couldn’t compete with her girlfriend’s agility, making the former Horde leader the champion.  
“You were right, Adora,” she said as she held up her prize for winning her race- a stuffed plushie version of She-ra. “I really do love festivals.”  
The blonde remain silent pulled a chunk of mud out of her hair, pretending to be annoyed at the other’s banter but secretly enjoying that her girlfriend had found the day to be enjoyable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was working on another chapter that was very angst heavy and I just started thinking, “Yeah, not tonight.” So here we are! Thanks for reading.


	68. Welcome To The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer and Bow have their first child.

“Catra, can we please go to sleep now,” the blonde begged as she slumped against the other girl, both of them sitting on a bench in the castle’s hallway.  
“No. You heard the doctor, Glimmer’s in active labor. The baby could be here any second.”  
“But it’s three in the morning,” Adora whined.  
“Tough toenails. Not my fault this baby decided she wanted to take over twelve hours getting here.”  
The First One smiled lazily at the other.  
“Why are you looking at me with that stupid grin on your face?”  
“You’re really excited to meet this kid, aren’t you?”  
“No I’m not! I just want to see it when it’s first born so I can get it out of the way and never have to spend any time with it for the rest of it’s life.”  
“Give it up,” Adora said as she poked the other playfully. “You’re soft on this kid already, before it’s even been brought into the world.”  
“I am not soft!”  
Before their usual banter could continue, they noticed a guard approaching them.   
“The queen know requests your presence in the delivery room.”  
The part-feline immediately got up and started running, shouting behind her, “I call getting to be the first one to hold her!”  
“What! That’s not fair. Catra, get back here!”  
The two bursted into the designated delivery room, Adora immediately shouting, “I get to hold her first!”  
“Shh,” Bow chided quietly, sitting on the bed next to his wife, “she’s sleeping.”  
“Yeah Adora,” Catra whispered mockingly, “she’s sleeping.”  
“That’s rich, considering-”  
“Um, guys,” Glimmer interrupted, sitting upright and holding a bundle in her arms. “Are you two gonna keep doing whatever it is your doing or do you want to meet our baby?”  
“The second one,” the blonde insisted, straightening up her posture to look more responsible, “definitely the second one.”  
“Yeah. Hand her over, Sparkles.”  
“Sometimes I swear you two getting married only made you both more insufferable,” the master archer said as he picked up his daughter and placed her in the First One’s waiting arms, causing the women to smugly stick her tongue out at her wife in victory.  
The female couple looked down at the child, who was still sleeping peacefully. She had Bow’s hair and complexion, but got all of Glimmer’s features. If they looked close enough, they could see the small pair of wings poking out from the girl’s back.  
“She’s beautiful,” the brunette commented.  
“She better be,” the queen stated. “Getting her out of my body was no picnic.”  
The embodiment of She-ra slowly rocked the baby. “What did you name her?”  
Bow smiled, a hint of sadness in his voice as he said, “well, we named her Angella, after Glimmer’s mom.”  
“But we will call her Ella for short,” the sorceress added.  
“Ella,” Catra said softly. “I like it.”  
Wordlessly, her wife passed Ella over to part-feline. Suddenly, the newborn opened her eyes, revealing them to be the same color and shape as her mom’s. She didn’t cry, didn’t do anything really. Just stared up at the face of the person she was currently in possession of.  
The brunette smiled, leaning in to give the baby a kiss on the forehead, whispering so no one else could here, “welcome to the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	69. Super Pal Trio: Game Night Edition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Entrapta go to Scorpia’s kingdom for Game Night.

“You sure you don’t want to come with,” Catra offered one last time, her arms around her girlfriend’s neck.  
“Nah, this night should be about the three of you guys hanging out. You don’t want the super hot love of your life to distract you from winning...what was it called again?”  
“Super Pal Trio: Game Night Addition”  
“See, trio is right in the name.”  
The part-feline gave Adora a quick kiss on the lips and left for Scorpia’s kingdom.  
————————————————————  
“I gotta hand it to you,” Catra said as she walked the halls of her childhood residence, “in less than a year you’ve managed to really turn the Fright Zone around. Bright colors, living plants, food that’s actually edible.”  
“Thanks. I mean, it’s technically called the Kingdom of Orion now, like it was before the Horde took over” the white haired girl corrected, “but I’ve affectionately named it the ‘Friend Zone.’”  
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit.”  
“Entrapta’s waiting for us in my room, since she volunteered to go ahead and set up the game.”  
When the got to the bedroom, the brunette was taken aback by how floral it all was. Flowers of all different shapes and colors bloomed all over the place- some in vases, some on the bedposts, and some just wherever they seemed to have wanted to take root and spring to life.  
“I’m assuming Perfuma had a hand in the decor,” the part-feline said suggestively.  
The woman with pincers for hands blushed. “Maybe.”  
“Okay guys,” Entrapta said, sitting on the floor a few feet away from them, “I’ve set up the first game.  
“What are we playing?”  
“This one is called ‘Say Anything.’ The person playing the host- that’ll be me for this round- picks a card and reads the question on it. Then you have to answer the way the host would. Whoever is more accurate to my thought process gets the point. Then, whoever gets to five points first wins.”  
Catra raised an eyebrow. “This is the game you want to play?”  
“It was actually Scorpia’s pick, I wanted to play ‘Blinded By Science Trivia Game,’ But she said I would most likely be at an unfair advantage. Though I do think it’ll be interesting to see this sort of social experiment- one where everyone has to think like another person would in order to obtain victory.”  
“Welp, I’m done for anything. Let’s start the game.”  
“Question number one,” the female said as she had her hair pick up the card on top, “what is my favorite activity?”  
“Eating tiny food,” Scorpia said quickly.  
“Working on inventions in your lab,” Catra said at the same time.  
The princess of Drill considered the two answers. “While I do love tiny food, I love my inventions more. I’m gonna have to go with Catra on this one.”  
“Yes!”  
Six more questions flew by, ranging from thinks like Entrapta’s favorite color (purple) to who her best friend was (Emily). The part-feline had only one more point to go, but so did her friend.  
“Okay, final question. In my opinion, what is the best dessert of all time?”  
The part-scorpion said it was mini cupcakes, while the other didn’t really know and guessed cookies.  
“Scorpia is the winner!”  
The victor cheered for a good minute, then realized she might be hurting her friends feelings by gloating.  
“Don’t worry,” the looser assured, “you deserved to win. You’re so attentive toward people and know what makes them happy. It’s what makes you an amazing friend and person.”  
Scorpia played host for the next round, one which Entrapta won, mostly due to the observations she had made during their time together during the war, both in the Horde and with the Rebellion. Catra had managed to earn three points though, a feat which she took pride in. It was only a little while ago that she was still pretending she didn’t care about her friends and decided to learn nothing personal about them in an effort to shield herself.  
That left the part-feline to take the place of host for the last round. This time the game was mostly called from the start, Scorpia knowing basically all the answers.  
“Well,” the part-scorpion said, “it’s getting late. I’d completely understand if you guys want to call it a night and head back to your homes.”  
“Not so fast,” the brunette said, a twinkle in her eye. “We haven’t played ‘Blinded By Science Trivia Game’ yet.”  
Entrapta’s eyes lit up and they stayed that way throughout the whole game, not missing a single question.  
————————————————————  
Catra took of her shoes and crawled into bed, not bothering to change into her pajamas due to exhaustion.  
“You’re home rather late,” Adora mused. “I assume that means you had a good time.”  
Her partner hummed in agreement. “It was nice.”  
“I’m glad,” the blonde responded, stroking the other’s short hair. “Did you win any of the games?”  
“Nope,” she replied with a smile as she pulled her girlfriend closer to her, snuggling into her embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean you still can’t have fun! Also, I literally just made a simpler version of one of my favorite games, (say anything) and the first science trivia game that popped up when I searched for it. Thanks for reading!


	70. I Deserve Love Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after all of the sessions with Perfuma and the encouragement from her friends, Adora is still having trouble believing she’s worth something outside of helping others.

“Adora! It’s time to wake up, sleepyhead.”  
The blonde opened her eyes to see Catra laying right next to her, their hand cupping her cheek.   
“What is it now? Another meeting?”  
The part-feline giggled, “nope. No meetings. I just really missed you and decided to wake you up. If I’m not sleeping, neither are you.”  
“Well now, that’s just mean.”  
The brunette smirked mischievously. “I guess I’ll just have to make it up to you then.” She then leaned in and passionately kissed the other.  
After a few moments, the First One pulled back and smiled widely. “I’m so glad we finally get to be together.”  
Her partner strokes her hair and sighs sadly. “But we aren’t.”  
Adora pulled back. “What? What are you talking about?”  
“Don’t you get it? In the end you weren’t strong enough.”  
“That...that’s not true,” she insisted,. “We kissed! We saved the universe!”  
Catra got up and out of the bed, a backpack slung across her shoulders, and shrugged. “Maybe. But we all know that in the end it won’t be enough. Not for you. You always have to be perfect for everyone and that’ll ruin things eventually. It’ll ruin us eventually. I’m not going to stick around and wait for it to happen.”  
“Please, Catra,” she begged, somehow unable to get up and stop the love of her life from leaving. “You said you loved me.”  
“And I do, I probably always will. But I can’t be with someone who won’t help themselves,” she said with finality, shutting the door behind her.  
————————————————————  
The blonde sat up in bed, tears streaming down her eyes from the nightmare. She instantly looked over at the other side of the bed, sighing with relief when she found her partner still sleeping peacefully.   
Adora couldn’t stay in this bed, she knew that. She had to get some fresh air, away from the walls that seemed to be closing in on her.  
So she made her way up to the rooftop.   
It was the middle of the night, but, thanks to the stars, the sky still continued to shine brightly. She walked over to the edge of the roof and sat down, tucking her knees into her body.  
She tried to think of something, anything, that could distract her from her nightmare. But nothing worked.  
The scariest part was the fact that this wasn’t the first time something like this had occurred. It had been happening every night for the past couple of weeks in fact. The scenes and exact words shifted, but the gist stayed the same. It always ended with Catra leaving because she always tried to fix everything.  
She drowned in the sadness of her visions until she had no concept of how long she’d been up there. But, whether it was a couple minute or a couple hours later, her girlfriend eventually came looking for her.  
The brunette sat down next to the other, put a blanket around both of them, and sighed. “I thought we agreed that you would wake me up when you have nightmares.”  
“I didn’t want to worry you.”  
“What worries me is waking up in the middle of the night to find that you aren’t there next to me. What worries me is the fact that you won’t let me help you.”  
“You said I didn’t have to tell you what happens in the dreams.”  
“I don’t have to know what happened to comfort you. And if these nightmares keep reoccurring, maybe you should tell someone about them. If not me than Perfuma at your next sess-“  
“Why are you so dead set on fixing me,” the First One snapped.  
The part-feline winced at the acquisition. “I’m not trying to fix you. There’s nothing about you that needs fixing.”  
“It feels like you think there is. You keep sending me to these meditation sessions and have me try all these activities to see if I can find some new purpose or something.”  
“Perfuma was the one to suggest you try new things. And I thought you were going to the sessions because you wanted to.  
“Please, Adora, understand that I’m not trying to fix you. No one is. We all just want to help and are suggesting ways that have worked for us in the past. But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. It’s your choice.”  
It was then Adora realized that Catra simply didn’t get it. No one was ever going to get it. She wasn’t like other people. Light Hope had been right all those years ago, she didn’t get to chose. She was chosen.  
But the blonde just wanted this conversation to be over. So she lied and said, “you’re right. I’ll talk this all over with Perfuma at our next session. But for now, can we just go to bed?”  
The other girl nodded, and the two went back to bed, not yet realizing that this problem was nowhere close to being resolved.  
————————————————————  
“Is there something on your mind,” Perfuma questioned Adora at their weekly meditation session, “you seem distracted.”  
“Do dreams show us what people are really thinking?”  
“I think they are usually just our brains manifesting our deepest thoughts and fears, as a way to process them. Why? Did you have one you’d like to talk about?”  
“I keep having a specific one every night. It’s been going on for about two weeks. Where Catra says I try to hard to save others and then leaves.  
“The scariest thing is I think it’s true. I think she really does believe that there’s something wrong with me and she needs to fix it in order for us to be happy.”  
The princess tilted her head. “Have you talked to her about this?”  
“Not about the dreams, but I have said that I think she’s trying to fix me. She insists that there’s nothing to fix. But why am I here if there isn’t?”  
“Fix is an ugly word to use when talking about people people. ‘Fix’ implies something is broken in the first place. You aren’t broken, you just have things that need to be worked on. We all do.”  
“But I’m not like everyone else. I don’t have the benefit of relaxing when I want to, or putting myself above others.”  
“Self-care isn’t putting yourself above others. It’s making yourself equal to others. Saying ‘I deserve love too.’”  
Adora winced. That was what Mara had told her. That she was worth more than what she could give to other people. But it didn’t feel right to say, didn’t feel right to think.  
“When you kissed Catra at the Heart of Etheria, did you do it because you knew it would save everyone?”  
“Of course not, there was no way I could’ve known that it would activate the failsafe.”  
“Then why did you do it?”  
“Because Catra told me she loved me and I wanted to tell her- to show her- that I did too.”  
“Exactly. You did it because you wanted to. That shows that you are capable of making yourself and your desires a priority. The only problem is you waited until there was no other options left, which shows that you put it as the last priority.”   
The blond gave an exasperated sigh. “I keep hearing stuff like that from you and Catra. That I need to put myself first sometimes and that doesn’t make me selfish. But all it does is make me feel like she’s sending me to you to convince me that she’s right. It feels like you are teaming up to fix me.”  
“Adora, you have to stop looking at these sessions as doing a favor for Catra. Nothing that happens here will help you in anyway if you aren’t here for yourself. And nothing we discuss here is told to her or anyone else, just like I’ve never told you what goes on in her sessions.”  
“I don’t think I can believe that. I’m tired of people telling me there’s something wrong with being a hero. You all keep forgetting that my little ‘saviour-complex’ is the only reason you all are here.” First One stood up and left the room, ignoring the other’s questions and pleadings for her to come back.  
————————————————————  
Adora had told herself long ago that she would never go to back to the Crystal Castle. That the place had been filled with so many complicated memories that she just couldn’t deal with, and it was better to stay away.  
And yet, here she was, sitting in the middle of the main room, lost deep in thought.  
“I wish someone was here to help me,” the blonde said to herself. “Mara or Light Hope or anyone. Catra and the other princesses try to understand, but they don’t know what it’s like. To have to be perfect all the time.  
“I know I need to change, to adapt to this new postwar lifestyle- and I actually really want to. But something keeps holding me back. It’s like my brain doesn’t want to stop being so hard on myself, like it feels that it needs the voice in my head that tells me I have to put myself last.”  
The First One waited for a few moments, hoping a voice would come or sign would appear that would tell her exactly what to do.  
Nothing came.  
“Typical,” she muttered and she stood up and made her new sword materialize out of thin air. “I don’t even know why I’m trying to get answers here. I hate this place, I hate what it reminds me of- that I come from a line of monsters. That I was supposed to be their weapon. That... that they’re all gone. That I’m alone.”  
Fueled by a sudden rage coursing through her veins, Adora took the sword and swung it at the nearest column, watching it shatter on impact.   
She then continued to do the same to everything else in her sight, subconsciously turning into She-at half way through. Tears were streaming down her face and her arms were getting tired, but she didn’t stop. She didn’t know how to.  
Then... she heard a rumble and blacked out.  
————————————————————  
Adora woke up lying on the ground in the middle of the Whispering Woods, a familiar creature licking her face.  
“Hey Melog,” she said as she petted her furry friend. She then looked around for the person they were imprinted to...  
Catra sat cross legged a few feet away, staring angrily at the blonde.  
Her girlfriend sat up, ignoring the pain of a few bruised ribs. “How did you find me?”  
“Swift Wind,” the part-feline said as she tilted her head in the direction of the sleeping unicorn. “He sensed you were in distress and flew me to your location.”  
“Judging by the look on your face I’m guessing your mad about that.”  
“I’m not mad at you for the fact that you were in distress. I’m mad at you for doing something so stupid while you were in that state of mind. Knocking out columns in the Crystal Castle? You’re lucky the whole place didn’t come down on you! You’re lucky that Swift Wind and I found you before that could happen!  
“How do you think that made me feel, huh? To see my girlfriend unconscious, underneath a pile of rubble. That was probably the most terrified I’d ever been in my life, and this about what a high bar that is to clear!”  
Adora put her head down in shame. After a few minutes of complete silence, she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “is this the part where you break up with me?”  
The brunette looked at the other female, confused. “What? What are you talking about?”  
“This was how it always worked in my dreams. You leave me because you eventually realize that I’m never going to stop helping people. You realize you can’t help someone who won’t help themselves.”  
“Well, your dreams are stupid. I’m not leaving you. This life we have isn’t perfect- we aren’t perfect- but it’s worth fighting for.   
“But this life we have together doesn’t work if we can’t trust each other.”  
“You have so much stuff going on. You went through so much during the war. I didn’t want to burden you.”  
“Adora, please burden me,” Catra begged, grabbing the other’s hand. “Please give me all of your pain and your doubts and your fears. I’m a tough girl, I can take it. I’m here for you to lean on, just like you’re there for me to lean on, right?”  
The First One nodded vigorously, the tears impossible to hold back.   
“I don’t expect you to stop helping people. You wouldn’t be you if you did that. I just want you to see yourself the way you see everyone else. It’s gonna take a lot of work, and that’s a larger conversation we can save for another day. But, right now, I need you to say the words. And I need you to believe them.”  
Adora shook with fear, knowing what her partner meant. “I don’t think I can.”  
“Can you at least try? For me?”  
The blonde nodded, letting out a shaky breathe.  
“I deserve love too.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I relate to Adora’s story so much in this aspect concerning self worth and an identity outside of helping others. I love that this show depicted that we are all worth more than what we can give to other people.


	71. Their New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra spends lunchtime with Scorpia and her daughters, who meet Melog for the first time.

“Higher, Aunt Catra! Higher!”  
“I don’t know,” the part-feline said, fake hesitation in her voice as she pushed Willow on the swings. “I’m worried if I make you go any higher I’ll accidentally shoot you up into space.”  
“I’ll hold on tight,” the girl insisted, “I promise.”  
“Well, if you’re so sure. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.” The brunette added a bit more power into her next push, causing the swing to go up even more than it had before.  
Elysia pouted. “How come you get to have Auntie Catra to push you?”  
“Because I’m her favorite, obviously.”  
“Am not!”  
“Am too!”  
“Settle down ladies,” the former Horde leader interjected. “There’s plenty of super cool Auntie Catra to go around.”  
The female then turned to Scorpia. “Switch?”  
“Switch,” the mother affirmed, trading places with the other and began to push her other child on the playground contraption.  
“I’m really sorry about this. I know this probably isn’t the day you had envisioned when I had asked you to hang out.”  
“Scorpia, for the last time, it’s fine. I love seeing the girls, and you couldn’t have just left Perfuma to take care of them, not while she’s sick.”  
“True. I just hope she’s feeling better by the time we get back. I hate seeing her like that.”  
“I know what you mean. Seeing your partner in any kind of pain and not being able to do anything about it is one of the worst feelings in the world.”  
“Mom,” the youngest daughter interrupted, “I’m hungry.”  
“Me too,” the other child agreed.  
“No worries,” the princess said as she stopped the ride and went over to the bench that had all of their stuff on it, “I packed all four of us lunches before we left the house.”  
The group all sat down, enjoying their meal and each other’s company, when suddenly Willow screeched.  
“It’s a monster,” she yelped as she pointed at the creature next to her that had just materialized.  
“That’s not a monster,” Catra corrected. “This is Melog. She didn’t mean to scare you, she was just coming to find me. We’re really close, so she doesn’t like to spend too much time away from me.”  
The former inhabitant of Krytis purred as the part-feline scratched her behind the ear.  
Realizing that the being was not a threat, the two girls looked up at it with wonder.  
The brunette noticed this and gently grabbed Elysia’s hand, placing it on Melog’s nose. The creature sniffed the palm for a moment, then licked it with fervor, eliciting a delightful squeal from the child.  
Willow than decided to also join in, moving to the body of the magical being and rubbing her belly.  
“She’s really soft,” the black haired girl commented.  
“She is,” Catra agreed. “But do you want to know the best thing about Melog?”  
“What!”  
“Her ability to turn invisible makes for an awesome game of tag. Which reminds me... you’re it,” she said quickly as she tapped the little girl and ran away, causing the other to get up and chase her.  
“We want in,” Scorpia called as she and Elysia jumped up and joined the game, abandoning their lunches.  
For the next half hour, Melog provided great assistance to everyone in the game, making it either hard to get tagged or hard to tell if you were about to be tagged. The two children instantly fell in love with their new friend, often calling time-outs so they could pet her.  
At the end of the outing, the girls climbed onto the creature’s back and allowed it to carry them all the way home, falling asleep in their warm embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a prompt recommendation and honestly, I’m so glad it was suggested. I just love Melog so much and find them so adorable. As always, thanks for reading!


	72. Whatever We Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora start off their vacation by going swimming.

“Catra, I can carry our bags,” Adora tried to insist as they entered their newly completed vacation spot in the Whispering Woods.  
“You heard the healer. You need to let your ribs heal. That means not carrying heavy loads around.”  
“She said that I needed to let them rest for three weeks. That was three weeks ago.”  
“She said at least three weeks,” the brunette corrected, “meaning the bare minimum. I’m not letting you only do the bare minimum.”  
“I still don’t even understand why we are here,” the blonde said as she looked around the cabin. It had a small kitchenette, a living space, and a hallway that led off to the bedroom and bathroom. “I told you I’m fine.”  
“And I believe you. But I want us to have a week where we don’t think about anything but each other. Not about rebuilding Etheria or going off into space. Not about what Bow and Glimmer are up to.”  
“Not about my meltdown at the Crystal Castle.”  
The part-feline grabbed her partner by the shoulders. “We’ve talked about this. It wasn’t a meltdown. You’ve been through a lot, even after the war ended. That was just the built-up pressure finally getting a bit of release. And we are going to continue to release that pressure together, starting with a romantic week together in the Whispering Woods, doing whatever we want.”  
The First One smiled. “Even if that includes going swimming?”  
Catra chuckled, “yes, even if that includes going swimming. We can even go right now if you want. We could go to the lake we went to on our first date.”  
“That sounds nice.”  
————————————————————  
“Okay,” Catra said as she shivered, standing in water that went up to her chest, “if nothing else in our relationship has thus far proven that I love you, the very fact that I’m doing this should be proof enough.”  
“Don’t worry,” Adora giggled, floating in the lake, “I figured out a long time ago that you’ve got it bad for me.”  
“Pfft. Like you’re any better.”  
“You were the one who literally jumped into fire for me.”  
“Alright, that’s it,” the part-feline said as she grabbed the other by the waist and pulled her up to her, noses only an inch apart.  
“Hey,” the blonde said, staring at her girlfriend’s lips.  
“Hey.”  
The two kissed for quite a while. Seeing this as an opportunity to strike, Adora dunks her partner into the lake, allowing herself to be taken with. Once they had had enough of the water, they lied on a blanket together, holding each other tightly.  
They stayed that way until the sun went down and the stars came out. And even then, they stayed out for a little longer, feeling as if them being together was enough to ensure that no one could ever hurt them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on, I can’t be the only one who loves romantic water scenes...right?  
> As always, thanks for reading.


	73. Babysitting Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra watch Ella as Bow and Glimmer go away for their wedding anniversary.

Glimmer trying really hard to stay awake at the breakfast table, fading in and out of consciousness. To her left, Bow was so tired he fell asleep and face first into his plate pull of pancakes, startling him awake.  
“Wow,” Catra mused, “you both look like crap.”  
“Catra,” Adora chided.  
“It’s okay,” the queen excused, “we are well aware.”  
“Ella keeps us up all throughout the night,” her husband explained. “I love that little girl, but she is driving me insane.”  
“Well isn’t your wedding anniversary coming up? Why don’t you just spend the night somewhere and get a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep,” the blonde suggested. “You can even use our cabin in the Whispering Woods.”  
“They can,” the part-feline questioned. Then, after receiving a judging glare from her girlfriend, she said in agreement , “you can.”  
“That’s really sweet of you guys, but it doesn’t look like we’re doing anything alone together this year. My dad is helping Aunt Casta with this month’s eclipse ceremony and Bow’s dads are excavating a new First One’s temple, so no one would be here to watch Ella if we were to go out.”  
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Catra offered, “me and Adora can watch Ella for you.”  
“You can?”  
The First One’s eye’s opened wide. “We can?”  
“Sure we can. It’d just be for one night, and it’s not like there’d be no one in the palace to help us if something went wrong- which it won’t.”  
“I don’t know,” the sorceress said, biting her lip hesitantly, “this would be the first time we’ve both spent the night away from her.”  
“And it’s okay to be worried about that, but you guys have barely had anytime for each other in the past three months that she’s been alive. There’s nothing wrong with taking a night to relax and rejuvenate so you don’t get completely burned out in this new role as parents.”  
Glimmer turned to her husband. “What do you think?”  
The inventor was about to say something, maybe even protest, but was interrupted when his tracker pad went off, alerting him to the fact that his daughter was up and screaming in her room.  
He then looked to his wife. “I think we should start packing right now.”  
————————————————————  
“I can’t believe you signed us up for overnight babysitting duty,” Adora whispered to her girlfriend in Ella’s nursery.  
“I couldn’t just let them skip over their anniversary. And besides, you offered up our place in the Whispering Woods.”  
“That is a place to which they can travel to. Completely different from offering our services as caretakers for their one and only child.”  
“It’s just one night. What could go wrong?”  
“What could go wrong,” the embodiment of She-at laughed nervously. “What could go wrong! Bow and Glimmer are like, the most stable people I know, and look what having a kid has done to them! Just yesterday, Bow put twigs into his quiver thinking they were arrows.”  
“You have to admit, it was pretty funny to see him try to practice his archery skills with those things.”  
“I just don’t want to disappoint them. They’d never forgive us if we killed their child.”  
“Would you chill. We aren’t going to kill their child.”  
“I should certainly hope not,” the queen joked as she entered the room, causing the females to jump in surprise.  
Bow put his arm around his wife. “Guys, you’re going to do fine. We wouldn’t be leaving Ella with you if we didn’t have full confidence that you two could handle this.”  
“Okay,” the sorceress started, going into full explanation mode, “I just fed her. She obviously is going to get hungry again a couple more times during the night and quite a bit throughout tomorrow, but you know where the formula is. Bow is going to keep his tracker pad on and with us at all times, so don’t hesitate to call us if you feel you need anything or if you want us to come back early-“  
“Glimmer, you can relax,” Catra assured her friend. “Everything is going to be just fine. You don’t have to worry about a thing. All you need to focus on is having a great anniversary.   
“Now, get moving. We’re getting sick of you already.”  
————————————————————  
Everything went smoothly in the beginning. The couple stayed in the nursery as baby Ella slept, barely making a sound as she did. Catra was starting to think Glimmer and Bow were making this out to be harder than it actually was.  
Then the terrifying screams started.  
Adora attempted to soothe the baby as the brunette prepared the bottle, but had no success. To make matters worse, Ella pushed the bottle away from her mouth the second it was offered to her.  
They tried everything they could think of. They burped her, changed her despite the fact that she didn’t really need to be changed, tried to distract her with silly faces. But none of it worked. The baby just kept on screaming.  
“They say that babies start to recognize their parents at about this age,” the blonde said. “Maybe she’s upset because she realizes Mom and Dad aren’t here.”  
“Well, they won’t be back for at least eighteen hours, and I am not about to call them and drag them away from their alone time together.”  
“Then what should we do?”  
“I don’t know! Clearly, we have no idea what we are doing here.”  
The First One’s eye’s lit up and she began pulling every drawer in the nursery open.  
“Uh, Adora,” her partner said above the screaming, confused at the other woman’s actions “what are you doing?”  
“I’m looking for that cocoon thing.”  
“Cocoon thing? Have you officially lost your mind?”  
“No. I’m looking for the baby sling that Bow always carries Ella around in, the one that goes over your shoulder. She loves that thing, especially when someone sways her while she’s in it. Maybe it’ll make her stop crying.”  
Hearing that last sentence made the brunette immediately start searching for the object too. She eventually found it and held it up in victory, strapping it to her body. Once the baby was placed into the sling by Adora, she immediately started swaying her body side to side.  
When that didn’t work, her girlfriend said, “start singing.”  
“What?”  
“Baby’s love to be soothed by someone singing to them. So sing!”  
“Why do I have to be the one to do it?”  
“Cause I’m not the one who signed us up for this. Now start singing!”  
Catra started singing the only lullaby she knew- some stupid song about a little, twinkling star way up in the sky. Ella seemed to give no response to it, but Adora urged her to keep going.  
Finally, after three rounds of the song, the baby seemed to settle down, causing the two women to sigh in relief.  
————————————————————  
Glimmer and Bow returned the next day around lunchtime, holding hands and laughing all the way to the nursery. Catra had been completely right. Even though the first part of the trip was them just sitting around and talking about how much they missed their baby, they were eventually able to move past that and have a romantic time together, being able to enjoy themselves as a couple and not just new parents.  
When they opened the door to Ella’s room, they saw that all the drawers were opened and objects were tossed everywhere. Adora was swaying back and forth, feeding the newborn with a fresh bottle.  
Catra looked up at them, looking completely defeated by the time she had spent with the three month old. “Please never go away ever again.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mighty Catra, taken down by a newborn. As always, thanks for reading!


	74. You Can’t Forget To Think About Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer talks to Catra after Adora is brought back from the Crystal Castle.

Catra tapped her feet impatiently as Glimmer approached her in the hallway just outside of the bedroom she shared with Adora.  
“So I just got done talking to the healer from Mystacor,” the queen started. “Apparently the falling debris in the Crystal Castle caused Adora’s ribcage to bruise pretty badly. She’s gonna have to wear bindings around the wound for support and she can’t do any strenuous activity for several weeks, but it looks like she’s going to heal nicely.”  
“How is she doing now?”  
“The tea they gave her to ease the pain really knocked her out. I see her sleeping for at least a couple more hours.”  
The part-feline ran her fingers through her own short hair. “Good, that’s good. Adora needs to rest.”  
The sorceress placed her hand on her friends shoulder. “Catra, you need to rest too.”  
“Maybe later. Right now I have to watch over Adora, in case she needs something.”  
“Not later- now. I haven’t seen you sleep or eat all day. She’ll be fine, she’s safe here. She has you and Swift Wind to thank for that.”  
“But that wasn’t the only time in the past few days she needed me,” the brunette said as she slumped against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. “She was having nightmares. Awful nightmares where I left her. I thought I was giving her space by not forcing her to tell me what was going on, but really I was just letting her down like all the other times before.”  
“You can’t force someone to talk if they don’t want to. This wasn’t something you could control.”  
“But the only reason it’s happening is because of all the other things I’ve done in my past that I could control.  
“Do you remember what life was like for you in the portal reality?”   
“Yeah,” Glimmer responded as she sat down next to the Former Horde leader, not sure where this line of questioning was headed. “My family was all together and Bow was the royal apprentice historian at Brightmoon. Things seemed perfect, but I didn’t know any of the other princesses or Adora or you. It wasn’t a bad life, but I’d much rather have this one.”  
After a few moments, Catra replied, “that’s where it was different for the two of us. Mine was truly perfect. I had the support of my colleagues and superiors, I was with Adora as she became more stronger and more powerful. I showed her that I loved her in subtle ways and she did the same.”  
“But you were still with the Horde.”  
“We didn’t have to be. We could’ve been happy like that anywhere. We could’ve been happy like that here. We are happy like that here. Except for the fact that I forced us to have all this emotional baggage to bring right along with us. Maybe if I’d left with her the first time she asked me to, that wouldn’t be the case.”  
“You both came from the Fright Zone. Pretty sure the emotional baggage would’ve fallowed you no matter what.”  
“Not like this.”  
“Catra, you have to stop wondering about what life could’ve been if Adora had stayed, or if you had gone with her, or if any other situation in your life went a thousand other different ways. Because they didn’t. All any of us can do is make the most of the place in our lives we are at now. Adora needs you to be there for her.”  
“What If me being there for her isn’t enough?”  
“I’m going to be honest with you, it probably won’t be. She’s going to need to work through some of her issues all by herself, and that’s okay. Your job is to make sure that she still knows that you are always there to turn to if she wants your help. And you can’t forget to think about yourself during this process too.”  
Tears started streaming down the part-feline’s face. “Seeing her like that... so fragile and in pain... I felt so many emotions all at once. So many that I don’t even know how to process them all.”  
“Come here,” the queen said as she pulled the brunette into a tight hug, letting her sob into the other’s shoulder, finally being able to let some of her feelings out. Finally able to exhale, even if just a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Glimmer and Catra’s friendship! As always, thanks for reading!


	75. I Guess I Can Tolerate You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melog And Swift Wind have a little chat.

“You should know that I find you very annoying.”  
Melog tilted her head at the statement, confused about what she had done to deserve it.  
“It’s unfair that you get to sleep with Adora at night,” Swift Wind said. “Don’t think that it’s because you’re special or anything. It’s only because she has an obsession with cat-like creatures thanks to her girlfriend and you can change shape to fit in the bed.”  
The being purred in response.  
“See, you can’t even talk! I know that Catra understands your thoughts through your psychic link, but can you find her anywhere on the planet? Can you fly her wherever she wants? I don’t think so.”  
Melog then turned invisible for a moment, changing shape and forming into the shape of a flying unicorn, flapping her wings.  
“That doesn’t count!”  
Suddenly, the two heard familiar voices not too far away from where they were.  
“Adora, stop it,” Catra whined giddily, trying to get away from her girlfriend who was, at the moment, smothering her with kisses. “I would like to actually eat the food I have packed for our romantic picnic together.”  
“You can do that in a little bit,” the blonde insisted, holding the other girl tight at the waist. “Right now I’m letting the love of my life know how much I appreciate her for surprising me with all of this.”  
The part-feline threw her head back in laughter, revealing a dopey smile that couldn’t seem to leave her face.  
“Wow,” the steed said, one magical creature to another, “they really do make a great couple, don’t they?”  
Even though he couldn’t understand what the other was saying, their was no denying that the purr they just let out was an agreement.  
“Catra makes Adora happy. And you come as part of the Catra package, along with all the angst she displays on a regular basis. So I guess I can tolerate you.”  
Without warning, Melog nuzzled their body up to Swift Wind in appreciation, still in horse form.  
“Say, do those wings actually work?”  
Her wings flapped once again, this time taking the mystical being a few feet off of the ground.  
“What do you say we give those two a little alone time and I show you the greatest thing in the world- loop de loops.”  
The two animal companions soared into the sky, grabbing the attention of the nearby couple.  
“Where are they going,” Adora asked, watching as the duo disappeared behind the clouds.  
Catra shrugged, “who knows. I’m sure they’ll be fine, though.”  
“Yeah, I guess so.”  
“So? Can we finally eat now?”  
“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Melog and Swift Wind are the best animal companions a girl could ask for!
> 
> So, I’ve recently set up a kofi account! While there is no pressure whatsoever, and your sweet comments are what really keep me going, if you’d like to make a contribution of any kind, my link is https://ko-fi.com/avatarabby.


	76. Sleepover Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swift Wind and Adora have a sleepover.

“I still say you just blow him off.”  
Adora rolled her eyes as she grabbed her sleeping bag. “Catra, it’s just one night. Nothing to get all worked up over.”  
“When I kissed you at the Heart I was under the impression that that meant you’d be having all of your sleepovers with me.”  
“We literally sleep together every single night. I was in space for a long time and I’ve been hanging out with you a lot. Swift Wind is just feeling a little left out.”  
The part-feline pouted. “I can’t sleep without you.”  
“You’ll have Melog to keep you company. And I’ll be back in time for breakfast. This is just something I need to do for Swift Wind. He’s done so much for me.”  
Catra sighed, “it’s hard to argue with you when you bring up stuff like him helping you.”  
The blonde kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. “Thanks beautiful.”  
“Yeah, yeah, I know I’m amazing. Now just leave already so you can get back here as quickly as possible.”  
————————————————————  
The first thing the magical steed did was sing.  
“She-ra and Swift Wind, sleepover party, doing their special sacred bond thing.”  
Adora chuckled as she spread her sleeping bag on the floor of the Brightmoon stables. While the horse didn’t consider this his home, as he traveled and slept pretty much wherever on Etheria he pleased, it was the place where he would spend the night whenever he visited the castle.  
“This is gonna be so great,” he started, stomping his hooves up and down in excitement. “It’s been so long since we spent quality time together.”  
“Yeah,” the First One agreed. “I’ve been so busy these past six months, what with getting together with Catra, helping rebuild Etheria, visiting other planets in the universe. Sometimes it feels like defeating Horde Prime was the easy part.”  
“Well, you can just relax tonight, because we are doing nothing but swapping stories and paling around.”  
“What stories do you want to know?”  
“I want to hear about your space adventures, of course!”  
The blonde shrugged, “they’re a lot less exciting than you think they would be. Boring meetings and difficult people. Although, there was this one time when Catra was trying to cozy up to the ruler of a planet and ended up falling into a water fountain. That was pretty funny.”  
“Okay, I gotta here that one.”  
The embodiment of She-ra told the tale, lying down in her sleeping bag and using Swift Wind’s body as her pillow.  
“Seems like you’ve been really enjoying your space adventures,” the flying unicorn commented.  
Adora’s smile faded, and she gave a heavy sigh. “Yeah, but Catra’s been asking me to cut back on them. She’s be in this mindset that I’m overexerting myself ever since I collapsed on Krytis.”  
“She’s just trying to look out for you. It’s obvious she loves you.”  
“I should hope she does. I can imagine how I would feel if she didn’t feel the same way about me as I did her.”  
“Wait... did you say Krytis earlier? Isn’t that where that weird cat-like creature is from.”  
“Melog. And yeah, that’s where their from. But she’s chosen to stay on Etheria cause her and Catra have a telepathic link with each other.”  
“Are the two of them having a sacred bond sleepover tonight too,” the horse joked.  
“I mean, Melog sleeps with me and Catra every night, so they don’t really need too.”  
“Wait, what!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Swift Wind. It’s not his fault he takes up the entire bed. This is the conversation that leads up to his conversation with Melog.  
> As always, thanks for reading!


	77. Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra loves to watch Adora eat.

One of Catra’s favorite things to do was watch Adora eat, especially when she was trying something new. They way she smiled when she tried something amazing for the first time, the way she crinkled her nose when she found something to be disgusting, even the way she hesitantly took the first bite of the dish.  
Back in the Horde, the girl only ate out of need, a way to keep her body fueled and functioning. There wasn’t really anything in the Fright Zone that was worth changing that state of mind for.   
But now, now the blonde could try hundreds of new cuisines, with hundreds of new tastes. And she was determined to try them all, usually dragging Catra along with her.  
At first the part-feline had been annoyed at that fact. She thought that it was best to stick to what you know. If you found food you liked, why stray away from the familiar?  
Her ideology changed the first time she saw her girlfriend shoveling food into her mouth. It was a terrifying sight, but also kind of impressive and weirdly attractive.  
As long as Adora’s eyes kept shining brightly when she tried new food, Catra was happy to tag along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we can all agree that Adora was so cute when she started eating all those foods at her first festival. While I don’t think Catra would react that way, I think she loves watching Adora do it.


	78. Almost Like A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad finds themselves in a fight.

“Bow,” Catra yelled as she barley dodged a sword swung in her direction, “can you please explain to me why the people of Nemesis are attacking us!”  
“I think the translator on my tracker pad didn’t grasp their language properly and I said something offensive,” he replied as he frantically fired his arrows.  
“You literally only attempted one sentence. ‘Hello, thank you for allowing us to aid in restoring magic to your planet,’” Glimmer said as she used her staff to stop a javelin from ripping through her. “How bad could you’re pad have screwed that up.”  
“It could’ve been something along the lines of ‘thank you for allowing us to aid in conquering your planet.”  
“Bow!”  
“That doesn’t matter right now,” Adora said, already transformed into She-ra. “We need to get to the ship and get out of here. We can try to smooth over relations with Nemesis at a later date.”  
Just then a guard tried to sneak up on the warrior princess, but Catra managed to leap and subdue them before they could. Then, the brunette gave her girlfriend a sly grin and said, “got to be more careful, sweetie.”  
The blonde punched a noble coming at them in the stomach and judo flipped him like he weighed nothing. “Could say the same for you, beautiful.”  
The queen of Brightmoon groaned behind them. “Stop flirting! You two are even more exhausting to listen to in a battle now that you’re both on the same side. Now is not the time to call each other cute pet names.”  
“It’s always time to call each other cute pet names.”  
“Yeah, Sparkles, stop trying to ruin our fun.” The part-feline saw that they were about to be swarmed with numerous attackers from all sides, so she turned to Melog, now deadly serious. “I think we’ve overstayed our welcome on this planet. Cloak us so we can get to the ship.”  
The second the group was invisible, they ran to Darla, located just outside the palace walls they had only entered into an hour ago.  
Once everyone was inside, Adora detransformed and said with a heavy breath, “Darla, get us out of here.”  
“Affirmative.”  
The Best Friend Squad laid down on the floor as they took off, trying to calm down their racing heartbeats.  
The brunette was the first to say anything. She turned to her partner and smiled, “you know, I’d much rather be fighting with you than fighting against you.”  
“Totally. Our chemistry on the battlefield is undeniable. It’s almost like a date.”  
“I’d be willing to do this again.”  
The sorceress sighed, “please stop romanticizing the fact that we almost died.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea that Catra and Adora are so lovey dovey they even call each other cute nicknames in battle. As always, thanks for reading!


	79. Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad winds up getting ice cream.

“Best Friend Squad’s first double date night!”  
Catra groaned. “Bow, we’ve been having double dates together for five years. This isn’t the first time.”  
“But this is the first time where we are all married,” he countered.  
“What does that have anything to do with us going out to eat?”  
Adora took her wife’s hand a whispered into her ear, “just give him this one. No use in arguing.”  
Glimmer jumped up and down. “This restaurant in Elberon is supposed to be one of the best places to eat in al of Etheria. I’m so excited to try it. I’ve heard the food is incredible!”  
————————————————————  
The food was terrible. Combine that with the crummy service and terrible music choice, it was fair to say the group would not be returning.  
“Geez Sparkles,” Catra said as she poked at her fish, which was somehow both hot and cold at the same time, “who on Etheria told you that this place was supposed to be good?”  
“My dad was the one who made the recommendation,” the queen said as she poked at her salad, which was code for a bowl of lettuce with some olives tossed on it.  
Bow winced. “Honey, I love your dad, but he ate bugs for over a decade. Maybe he’s not the one to ask when your looking for a new place to eat.”  
“Probably.”  
“I don’t know what you guys are talking about,” Adora said as she shoveled in her food. “I am loving these mashed potatoes. A little chewy but still good.”  
“Sweetie, didn’t you order the potatoes and cream soup?”  
The blonde immediately dropped her spoon and asked for the check.  
————————————————————  
“I’m sorry guys,” Glimmer said with her head down as they walked the streets of Elberon. “This was not how I envisioned our first married double date night going.”  
“All I wanted was for us to be here together,” her husband said with his arm around her, “and that’s how it is. This is the perfect date night.”  
“Yeah,” the First One agreed. “We can just enjoy each other’s company without needing to eat any- ice cream!” Adora squealed in delight and ran into the frozen treat shop she spotted just moments ago.  
The master archer turned to Catra. “She does realize that it’s the middle of December, right?”  
The part-feline shrugged and started to follow her partner. “You act like that’s gonna stand in the way of Adora and ice cream.”  
Unlike the restaurant they had just attended, the ice cream shop had amazing dishes to choose from. The rulers of Brightmoon decided to share a banana split, while the other couple each got their own bowls of ice cream, strawberry for Catra and birthday cake for Adora, feeding the other tastes of their flavors with a spoon.  
“I’d say this was a pretty great outing,” the sorceress commented as she took another spoonful of the sundae in front of her.  
Everyone else nodded in agreement.   
Suddenly, the blonde then tilted her head in contemplation. “Should I go for another scoop?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get that second scoop Adora! Treat yourself! Thanks so much for reading.
> 
> Also feel free to check out my page on Ko-fi. Commissions are now open for different types of crafts as well as writing! All prompts given to me on this work are still considered/written for free, this is just if someone wants something outside of Catradora or even this fandom, or they want to ensure that their idea gets written. If all else fails, at least check out the picture of my adorable dog that now acts as my icon on there!   
> https://ko-fi.com/avatarabby


	80. Even In My Dreams, I Can’t Stay Away From You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra considers making a change to her look.

“I think I want to start growing my hair out again,” Catra said one night as she laid in bed with her partner.  
Adora looked up from the book she was reading and towards the other woman. “Really?”  
“Yes. I’ve kept it super short for the past three years, and at first it was because I genuinely liked it. But after a while, I was scared to let it get longer because I thought that would mean I was reverting back to my old self. That I was going to become selfish and hurt the people I love the most yet again. Recently, however, I was talking to Perfuma and she reminded me that my hairstyle or outfit or any other part of my look doesn’t indicate who I am now, my actions should speak for themselves.”  
“Perfuma has always be great at giving advice.”  
“So, what do you think about it? I kinda want to see what I would look like with a bob or maybe even try a ponytail like yours, minus the dumb hair poof of course.”  
“Hey! If you’re dating me, you’re dating my hair poof,” the blonde said pointing at her own hairstyle.  
“Then I guess it’s time to call it quits then,” the brunette said with a smirk, to which she received a pillow flung at her face.  
“Catra, in all seriousness, you know that what you do with your body is your choice, right? You don’t need my permission.”  
“I know, but I value your input.”  
“Honestly? I think you’d look beautiful in any hairstyle. And I already know for a fact that you look really hot in a ponytail.”  
“How? I’ve never worn it like that in my life.”  
“I saw it in a dream of mine,” the First One said, not wanting to get into the fact that it was in the vision she had at the Heart, when she thought she was going to die.  
“Wow, you’re mind just can’t stop thinking about me even when you’re asleep?”  
“What can I say? Even in my dreams, I can’t stay away from you.”  
The part-feline leaned in and kissed her girlfriend on the lips, muttering, “good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw this one fanart of older Catra with a bob and it looked really good. It would surprise me if she experimented with different hairstyles throughout the rest of her life, just to see what she likes best and to have a little fun with it. Thanks for reading!


	81. Whatever You Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra checks up on Adora who has been stuck in bed all day.

“So, what exactly is this again,” Catra asked as she held up the object her girlfriend just gave her.   
“It’s a sock for your tail,” the blonde said excitedly as she sat up in bed, her ribs still wrapped in bandages to protect them while they healed. “I noticed it was shivering when we went ice skating in the Kingdom of Snows, so I decided that since I’m stuck in bed already, I might as well try making something warm for you to help with that.”  
“That is very kind of you, but you know you don’t have to try all these new activities if you don’t want to, especially right now. It’s only been a few days since the indecent at the Crystal Castle. You healing physically is the main priority in these coming weeks.”   
“I know, but I wanted to. I was super bored today, being stuck in bed all alone. So I thought I would try something to occupy my mind.”  
“Did it work?”  
“It actually did. It was nice to do something very methodical. Knitting is basically just a process you repeat over and over again, and it helped pass the time.”  
“I’m glad. And I love what you made for me,” the brunette said, placing the sock on the nightstand by their bed with a smile. It quickly faded away when she saw the time displayed on the clock that was also located on the piece of furniture . “It looks like it’s time for your breathing exercises.”   
Adora groaned, “do I have to?”  
“I know you hate it, but yes. We have to do everything the healer says. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay. I know you are just looking out for me. Can you just stay with me while I do them?”  
“Of course.”  
The First One clutched a pillow to her chest and breathed ten big breathes in and out, her face wincing in excruciating pain as she did so, which caused her girlfriend to place a hand on the other comfortingly.  
Once it was over, Adora breathed a sigh of relief and took Catra’s hand. “Thank you.”  
“You know I’m here for you, whatever you need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently found out while researching for this fic that when your ribs are bruised, you have to take ten deep breathes every hour to ensure that all the shallow breathing you’ve been doing lately doesn’t result in you getting pneumonia. I just love Catra and Adora taking care of each other when they aren’t feeling well. Thanks for reading!  
> P.S.- I’m about halfway done with the proposal chapter. Here’s hoping I can finish it soon!


	82. The Journey Was Well Worth The Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra finds our Adora is planning something behind her back.

“Hey, Entrapta,” Catra said as she walked into the woman’s guest room at Brightmoon, “I figured that you would be too busy with your plans to upgrade the castle’s defenses to come down for lunch, so I decided to bring it up to you. I made tiny ham and cheese sandwiches.”  
“That was very thoughtful of you,” the woman with purple hair observed without looking up from her mobile workstation.  
“Yeah, I know I’m awesome.” The brunette pulled herself up onto the desk and watched with curiosity as the other’s hands and hair worked away at a tiny object. “What are you even doing right now? Whatever it is, it certainly doesn’t look defense-related.”  
“Oh, I completed that an hour ago. Right now I’m adding the final touches to your ring.”  
“My what?”  
“You’re engagement ring,” Entrapta said nonchalantly. Then she remembered who she was talking to and her eyes went wide. “Uh... forget everything I just said.”  
The part-feline started to panic. This couldn’t be happening, this was all wrong. She had to make sure her girlfriend didn’t go through with it.  
“I’m going to go find Adora,” she said, racing out the door.  
As if the blonde had somehow heard her words, Catra closed the door behind her only to find her girlfriend, Bow, and Glimmer already walking down the hallway, heading in her direction.  
“Oh, hey Catra,” the First One said, kissing the love of her life on the cheek. “We were wondering where you’d gone off to. You feeling okay? You look a little pale.”  
“Are you going to ask me to marry you?”  
The embodiment of She-ra tensed, looking like she had been caught red-handed. “Who told you that?”  
“So it’s true then. You were going to propose?”  
Adora took a deep breathe. “Yes. I was planning to propose the day after tomorrow.”  
“Well, don’t bother asking. Cause my answer is going to be no.”  
The blonde looked crushed. The two friends observing in the background looked at each other, mouths agape and eyes widened.  
“Catra,” Glimmer started, “how can you say that?”  
“Because she doesn’t get to ask before I do.”  
“Wait,” Bow said, picking up on what the girl had just said, “before you?”  
The blonde state of sadness immediately turned into one of elation. “You were going to propose?”  
“Yes! Next week in the gardens. I was going to sing a song and have a picnic set up and it was going to be amazing and I was one hundred percent sure you were going to cry! And now it’s ruined.”  
“I just thought you would never want to be the one to ask the question.”  
“What on Etheria gave you that impression!? At Bow and Glimmer’s wedding, you alluded to me wanting to ask you, and I was more than receptive.”  
“But that was a year ago,” the queen pointed out. “Adora came to us saying she was tired of waiting for you to ask her. So we told her that if she wanted it to happen, she should make it happen herself.”  
“I wanted to propose to you back then,” the brunette said, taking her girlfriend’s hands, “I really did. I just worried that it wasn’t the right time. I wanted everything in our lives to be as perfect as it could be. For both of us to keep growing our confidences in ourselves and for the universe to be more stabilized, so we could truly enjoy every moment of our engagement and the wedding. Please understand I never meant to make you worry that I didn’t want it to happen. But I acknowledge that that’s how you saw it and for that I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay. I can see your thought process in that,” her girlfriend acknowledged, pulling her in for a hug.  
The master archer wiped the tears from his eyes. “You know, this may not be the most romantic way to get engaged, but it finally happening in any way just makes me so happy.”  
The part-feline looked at the man with a confused glare. “Oh, we’re not engaged.”  
“What,” the First One yelped, pulling away from the hug. “How are we not engaged? We both said we wanted to get married.”  
“But no proposal happened. It was just something we simply discussed. Meaning I still get to ask you.”  
Adora folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. “Um, I think you mean I still get to ask you. I was going to do it sooner, so the privilege should fall to me.”  
“But I put months of effort into mine. So the honor is clearly all mine.”  
“Is not.”  
“Is too!”  
Catra narrowed her eyes. “Then I guess there’s only one way to settle this.”  
The blonde held out her hand, a smug look on her face. “First one to propose wins?”  
The brunette accepted the handshake, saying, “let’s do this.”  
The sorceress stood behind them, frozen. “This is going to be a disaster.”  
————————————————————  
Adora sighed as she stared down at her pancakes. “I miss sleeping with Catra.”  
Bow stared at his friend across from the breakfast table, concerned. “Adora, hasn’t this all gone on long enough? It’s been two weeks and you two have completely stopped sharing a room, eating together, you don’t even talking outside of meetings.”  
“Because those are the perfect times to propose! I can’t take that risk.”  
“The whole point of proposing is to bring a couple closer together. But if you’re both so caught up with who is the one to ask, it’s only going to keep you guys apart.”  
“Well, I certainly don’t want that.”  
Glimmer pointed her fork at the blonde. “You two need to have a serious conversation about this. And preferably soon. I swear, if I hear Catra singing only to be cut off by you yelling and running away one more time...”  
“At least she isn’t jumping around the corner every five seconds, shoving a ring in you face,” her husband adding, motioning to the First One.  
“That only happened three times and I said I was. Listen, I know you two are trying to help, but this is something me and Catra have to do. We both want to propose and neither are going to give up the opportunity to be the one to do it.” With that, Adora got up from her seat and left the room, abandoning her plate of flapjacks.   
“Neither of them are going to give up, are they?”  
The queen sighed, “they wouldn’t be them if they did. But I have an idea on how we can put a stop to all this madness.”  
————————————————————  
“Glimmer, I can’t stay out her long,” Adora said as she entered the Brightmoon gardens a few days later, looking down at the piece of paper that informed her to come here. “I’ve got a busy schedule today and I still need to-“  
“What are you doing here,” Catra said with surprise.  
“I could ask you the very same thing.”  
“True, but I asked you first.”  
“Glimmer told me to meet her out here for an important discussion.”  
“She said the exact same thing to me, the liar.”  
“Actually,” Glimmer said as she and Bow came out from behind a column, “I wasn’t lying. We do need to have an important discussion, just about the two of you.”  
“Sparkles, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull-“  
“Just here us out,” the master archer interjected. “You two love each other, you’ve always loved each other. But it certainly hasn’t been easy for you two to get this far. So why is something so silly as who gets to ask the question so important?”  
“Because Catra deserves everything,” the blonde answers, then turns to speak to her partner, “you deserve everything, and for the longest time I couldn’t give that to you. I was too wrapped up in saving the world that I couldn’t see that by not taking care of myself, I was also hurting you. But we’re finally on track now and I just wanted to give you the perfect day you’ve always deserved.”  
“That I deserve?” The brunette took the other’s hands in hers. “What about you? You sacrificed so much of yourself for others. You’re right, it hurt me that you didn’t make yourself a priority, but that’s because I always knew the funny, caring, lovable idiot you really were. I just wanted you to see it too. And for a long time I mistook your self-sacrifice as not wanting me. I wanted to be the one to propose to make sure you know that I know that that was never the case. That I know you want me and I want you.”  
“So it’s agreed that you both want to get married,” Bow jumped in. “Shall we make this official?”  
The First One’s eyes opened wide. “We can’t do it right now! I don’t have the ring on me, I just came from training and didn’t want to lose it and-“  
The queen interrupted her by tossing her a small, velvet box. “I grabbed it from your room on the way here. Catra, I assume you have yours?”  
“Of course I do. Unlike Adora, I come prepared to a proposal.”  
“That is completely unfair! You had no idea any of this was gonna happen either!”  
“Not the point, guys,” the sorceress said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.   
“You’re right, you’re right. Sorry.” Adora then slips Entrapta’s creation- a simple gold band with the words promise engraved on the outside- onto her partner’s ring finger.  
Catra then returns the favor by taking out her ring and placing it on the blonde’s hand. It was also gold, but much thinner and had a ruby heart in the center, with three white diamonds on either side.  
The rulers of Brightmoon cheered for their best friends, but the couple could barely hear them. The rest of the world seems to have stopped, leaving nothing but the two of them existing in their own little happy bubble. They dreamily smiled at each other, both thinking the same exact thing. It had taken them so long to get here, but the journey was well worth the wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Thanks for reading! I love the idea that Adora and Catra are so competitive they turn this into a competition too.


	83. Thank You For Never Giving Up On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra tells Scorpia she’s engaged.

“Adora and I are getting married.”  
“Oh my goodness,” Scorpia said as she started to hyperventilate our of excitement. “It’s finally happening. You’re finally getting married.”  
“I’m finally getting married,” Catra confirmed, smiling. “You should probably be taking deep breathes. I’m scared you’re going to pass out.”  
“I know, I know. I’m just so excited for you! I mean, I knew you were planning to propose, but the fact that it’s actually reality is just now hitting me. I gotta tell Perfuma and the girls right away!”  
“Wait,” the brunette said, grabbing the other’s hand to prevent her from running off. “Can you sit back down with me for a moment? I have a favor to ask you.”  
“Anything! You name it and I’ll do it!”  
“I would like for you to sing at my wedding reception.”  
“Me? You want me to sing for you guys?”  
“I talked to Adora and she thought it was a good idea too. I had a song I was going to play for her, but let’s just say that plan didn’t exactly pan out. I can think of nothing better than for my best friend to play it for us at our wedding.”   
The princess made a squeal, than fanned her face as she started to cry.  
“Woah, are you okay? What’s with the waterworks?”  
“I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. Seeing you with Adora these past few years, I’ve seen how much you’ve grown and how much you love her, love all of your friends. I know life hasn’t always been easy for you and there were times when you gave up on yourself and stopped trying to be better, but you managed to defy all of that and make this wonderful new life for yourself.”  
The part-feline wipes away tears of her own, placing her hand on that of her friend. “Well, I could never have done it without you, cheering me on all the way.”  
“You just really deserve this. And I’d be honored to sing at your reception.”  
“Thank you, Scorpia,” she said as she hugged the woman. “Thank you for never giving up on me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Their friendship is so pure and I just love them both so much.


	84. Something You Enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora gets into cartography.

“Please tell me that you haven’t been out here all night working.”  
Adora yelped, startled at the sudden appearance of another person on the roof of the Brightmoon castle. When she looked to see who it was, however, she immediately relaxed.  
“Oh, hey Catra. I thought you said you wouldn’t be back from Salineas until morning?”  
“I did. It is morning. Look over there, the sun is literally starting to rise.”  
Sure enough, in the east the blonde could see a warm glow just starting to rise into view.  
“Man, I must’ve lost track of time.”  
“When I couldn’t find you in our room and nobody knew where you were, I was starting to worry,” the brunette said as she picked up some of the pieces of paper that laid at her girlfriend’s feet, her eyebrows furrowing. “These are maps.”  
“I mean, I guess you could call them that.”  
“You promised me you wouldn’t pull all-nighters anymore. I don’t want you over working yourself.”  
The First One blushed, scratching the back of her neck as she said, “I mean, I wasn’t exactly working.”  
“You weren’t? Well, then what is all this stuff if it’s not work?”  
“Promise you won’t think it’s stupid?”  
“I promise,” the part-feline said as she placed a hand to her chest. “Please tell me what’s going on.”  
Adora breathed in and started, “after you had left and all the meetings were wrapped up yesterday, me and Glimmer went for a walk around the castle’s perimeter. She went inside earlier than I did and I just found myself looking up at the stars, mesmerized by them. Even after all these years of having them, I’m still amazed at how many of them there are. And I just had to place all of it on paper.”  
“So you came up here and started sketching?”  
The embodiment of She-ra nodded. “I hadn’t planned on being up all night here, I was actually going to go back to the room and try to get some real work done. But I just lost track of time.”  
She looked to her partner, expecting to see some kind of disappointment towards her for not sleeping. Instead she was greeted with a huge smile.  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”  
Catra shrugged, “I’m just glad that you were able to find something you enjoy doing that’s completely for yourself.”  
The blonde paused to reflect on that comment. It was true, she had enjoyed doing it, so much that the hours seemed to only be minutes. And she hadn’t once thought about more important things she could be doing, or called herself selfish for trying this new thing.   
“Yeah, I guess I was able to.”  
The former Horde leader picked up one of the illustrations closest to her. “These are really good, and I’m not just saying that. Nice use of color and shading, highlighting all the important elements.”  
“Thanks,” her girlfriend said, eyes lighting up. “If you want, I can show you some of the constellations I drew in the sky before the sun comes up and we can’t see them anymore.”  
“Wow,” The part-feline said, snaking her arm around the other’s waist, “I can’t believe I’m dating such a huge nerd.”  
“You know you love it.”  
“You know, I really do. Now, hurry up and show me some stars.”  
They stayed up there until the sun had extinguished their view of all the other stars, the blonde enthusiastically pointing up at the sky and then showing where she had depicted them on the maps, happy to share her newfound hobby with the love of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Aimee’s idea that Adora likes to map out places and I think that would actually be really calming for her. Thanks for reading and all the sweet comments I’ve received, especially today. Wasn’t a great time for me, and your guy’s comments really help when I’m feeling down.


	85. Was It Worth It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra considers Horde Prime’s last words to her.

_“So tell me, little sister,” Horde Prime had said as Catra was being pulled up by the First One monster, facing imminent death, “was it worth it?”_  
Those words still sometimes echo in her mind for many different reasons. That was when she was about to die, when Adora was almost certainly going to go down too. Right before Shadow Weaver came and saved her. Right before Shadow Weaver sacrificed herself.  
The brunette now sat around the fire at the hideout, a few days after the events at the Heart. Adora was smiling and laughing, filling the other’s in on what happened to them on their space adventure.  
She considered those words yet again. She asked herself if it was worth it.   
A few years ago she would’ve said no in a heartbeat. Said that Adora wasn’t worth the trouble, not after all the pain she had caused her. She would’ve insisted that her life would’ve been a thousand times better if the dumb blonde never would’ve entered into it.  
But that was a lie, and she knew it. Adora was what made her life a thousand times better, more exciting, more fulfilling. The blonde taught her how to trust others and to never give up.  
She taught her how to love.  
So this time, when the question popped into her head, she had an immediate answer to it.  
_Was it worth it?_  
Yes it was. Every bit of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


	86. Smiling At Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellla smiles at Catra for the first time.

“Adora, come look,” Catra excitingly yelled across the nursery, “Ella’s smiling at me!”  
After hearing those words, the blonde immediately rushed over and looked down at the baby. Sure enough, the girl was staring up at the brunette with a huge grin on her face.  
“That is so precious. She recognizes you.”  
“That’s because her Auntie Catra is raising her to be a genius,” she replied proudly, then turned her attention back to the baby and spoke in a high pitched voice, “Isn’t that right? Yes it is! Yes it is!”  
Ella gurgled in response to the part-feline tickling her tiny foot, making Adora question just what she had done to make her get this lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While today was better than yesterday, I still am feeling a bit down and couldn’t get a lot of sleep last night. So this chapter and the next are going to be super short. Sorry if you were looking forward to a longer chapter today. As always, thanks for reading!


	87. No Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora finds a gift to give Glimmer and Bow at their baby shower.

“Catra, I finally found the present I’m going to give to Glimmer and Bow at the baby shower!”  
“That’s great sweetie,” the brunette replied to her girlfriend, knowing how much she had been worried about finding the perfect gift. While she had offered to let her just piggyback on the mobile that she had made for the baby’s nursery, Adora had insisted that she wanted to find something to give the expecting couple on her own.  
“You want to see it?”  
“Sure, lay it on me.”  
The First One then held up a small outfit, the perfect size for a newborn. But it wasn’t just any outfit.  
It was a onesie with the design of a cat.  
“You are not giving that to Glimmer’s baby,” the part-feline insisted.  
“Why not? It’s adorable! Just look at the tail and the hoodie with the cute little cat ears.”  
“Bow’s going to say it looks just like me and gush about it for the rest of the day.”  
“You know full well that he’s going to gush about anything the two of them get. And even you have to admit that their baby is going to look adorable in this.”  
Catra considered this for a moment, imagining a little baby laying down in their crib, napping in the onesie that was held up before her.  
She had to admit that the image made her heart melt.  
“Okay, you can give it to them. But this better be the only cat-themed thing you give this child.”  
“No promises!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have to admit, Adora would totally buy this outfit for the baby. Thanks for reading!


	88. Dance Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra asks Adora how dance therapy went.

“Hey, beautiful,” Adora said as she walked into the bedroom she shared with her girlfriend, sweat dripping from her forehead.  
“Hey,” Catra replied as she put down the book she was reading, “how was your dance session?”  
Although the blonde had been habitually going to her meditative sessions every week for a while now, Perfuma suggested that she try attending one of her dance therapy classes to have a physical outlet for her feelings in addition to a verbal one. She had been hesitant to go at first, but eventually decided it was worth a try.  
“It was actually great,” the First One answered. “Perfuma taught us all this basic routine and said to let our mind drift to whatever the actions made us relate to. The movements were so calculated and precise to me that it just reminded me of our time in the Horde. You know, how we were always forced to do things exactly how they wanted it done.”  
“And that’s a great thing how?”  
“Because it allowed me to acknowledge that part of me is still living like I’m in the Horde, where everything I do has to be done in a way that’ll please others. And by actually accepting, I can address it and tell myself that I left that lifestyle behind. I can create my own identity, do anything I want, even do nothing at all if that’s what it takes to make me happy. All that matters is the fact that the things going on in my life are there because I want them to be.”  
The brunette grinned from ear to ear and pulled her partner into a hug, “I’m really glad this helped.”  
“There’s another session next week, and I think I wanna go.”  
“If that’s what you want, then that’s what’s going to happen.”  
“And I was thinking you could go with me.”  
“That, however, is where I draw the line.”  
“Come on, Catra,” the First One begged, using the puppy dog eyes in an attempt to sway the other. “It could be fun! Something we can do together that’ll bring us closer.”  
“I think we’re pretty much as close as two people can get.”  
“Please?”  
The part-feline sighed. “I’ll think about it,” she said, knowing full well she was going to dance therapy next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I’ve only heard about dance therapy, I’ve personally experienced how physical motions can bring up thoughts and feelings you didn’t even know you had. And once you know what you’re truly feeling, you can address it in a healthy way. I’m not great at describing physical motion in my writing, so I don’t think that I’ll ever really write about an actual session occurring, but I do think Adora would enjoy the act of doing something physical and Catra will, in time, learn to appreciate it as well.  
> Also thanks to those who sent me messages of encouragement. I’m feeling much better today and thank you all for sticking with this story!


	89. You Are My Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia and Perfuma get married.

“Are you one hundred percent sure you guys are okay with this,” Scorpia said as her best friend zipped up her dress. “Perfuma and I don’t want to steal the spotlight from you and Adora.”  
“Scorpia, for the last time it’s okay,” the part-feline assured. “My wedding isn’t for another three months. So no, the two of us are not mad at you and Perfuma for getting married.”  
“I know that you’re right. I’m just nervous. Not about the fact that I’m marrying Perfuma, I love that part. It’s just this whole thing happened so fast. It was only a month ago that we decided to have the wedding.”  
They had gotten engaged on a whim, with Perfuma mentioning how she would like to get married someday while the two were walking the outskirts of Plumeria. The white haired woman responded that they should just do it now, why wait? The fact that they decided on an intimate wedding with just the princes alliance made it particularly easy to plan.  
“I’m actually not all that surprised about that. You two love to move fast. Two little girls are going to be standing at the alter with you to attest to that.”  
“I know. It’s crazy to think that only a little over five years ago, I was still a member of the Horde, and I never imagined me settling down and being this happy. Now, I’m a mom and I’m about to marry the woman I love.”  
“You deserve it Scorpia. You deserve everything good in this world,” Catra said as she placed the flower crown of white lilies on her friends head, matching the flower pin that was already attached to her sleek, white dress, very similar in style to the one she wore at Princess Prom. “It looks like it’s time to head down the aisle. You ready?”  
“You know it Wild Cat. Thanks for walking me to the altar, by the way. My moms and grandad aren’t alive anymore, but with you and the other princesses, it still feels like I have family here, you know?”  
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m truly honored that you asked me, and I know Adora is touched that you both asked her to officiate the ceremony. Now let’s get this show on the road! We don’t want to keep the other bride waiting!”  
Scorpia and her best friend walked out of the Plumerian home of the two brides to a backyard blooming with flowers. A walkway covered in rose petals divided the seating for the guests in half and it led to an arch covered in white roses, where Perfuma was waiting for the love of her life to join her.  
To the white haired woman, the princess of Plumeria was the most beautiful sight to ever exist in the entire universe. She wore a plan white dress that tied up at the neck and went down to her calfs. In her typical fashion, she was barefoot and her hair was down, though this time the flowers in her hair were all white with a yellow center.  
“Scorpia,” the brunette whispered, “I know that Perfuma looks amazing and you can’t help but drool over her, but we kinda need to start walking now.”  
“Oh, yeah. Let’s go.”  
Once the reached the altar, Scopia stood across from her soon-to-be, pincers holding hands.  
“Okay,” Adora started, “I was only asked to officiate this wedding two weeks ago, so I please forgive me if I mess up a little. I have known Scorpia and Perfuma for a long time, and from the moment they met, you could tell there was this instant connection. They helped each other, they relied on each other, they trusted each other. And that connection still stands firm today. It’s what allowed them to build a family and a life together. It’s what allows them to get married today.  
“Now, I will turn the time over to the brides, who have prepared their own vows.”  
“Scorpia,” Perfuma started, “when you first showed up at Brightmoon, I didn’t know exactly what to think. I had fought you in combat, seen you as my enemy. But you left everything you knew to help a friend, and that touched my heart. It was nice to know that even when the alliance had accidentally left Entrapta in the Fright Zone, she still had a friend she could count on, someone who cared about her in the way we did, probably even more. You make me feel cherished and loved in a way I had only dreamed about before. Over the years, I have seen your kind heart time and time again and it has made me love you all the more. I am overjoyed that soon I will be able to call myself your wife.”  
“Perfuma, when I first met you, I was so insecure about myself and where I belonged. But all the princesses, especially you, reached out and gave me a family. You encouraged me to follow my dreams, not because I was good at them, but because they made me happy. Well, you are my dream and you make me happy. Know that I’d follow you across the universe if that was what it took to have you by my side for all eternity. I used to thing that the Horde was my home and that when I left, I’d have to try to find a new place to make my home. But now I know that you and the girls are my home. Wherever the three of you are is where I belong.”  
The embodiment of She-ra wiped away her tears and said, “instead of rings, the couple has chosen to exchange necklaces that will presented to them by their daughters Elysia and Willow.”  
Perfuma bent down and took a necklace with a golden flower on it from her oldest child, while Scorpia took one from their youngest that had the symbol of the Black Garnet.   
Before she handed the piece of jewelry over to her mother, Willow whispered, “make sure to tell Mama that she looks really pretty today.”  
The part-scorpion laughed and whispered back, “I will.” She then turned around and faced her bride, both of them placing their symbol of love on the other.  
“It is with great pleasure that by the power vested in me as She-ra, princess of power, I now pronounce you married. May your union outlast all of the stars that shine in the sky. You may now kiss your bride.”  
The couple leaned in and kissed, wrapping their arms around each other, excited for the next chapter in their life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perfuma and Scorpia are just so cute together and I would die for them! Also, I know I’m biased since I created her, but I love the idea of Willow trying to play wing woman for her mom, giving her complements to tell Perfuma. Thanks for reading!


	90. The Best Things In Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Netossa asks Catra for a favor.

“Can I talk to you in private,” Netossa said quietly as the Alliance meeting ended.  
“Of course,” Adora answered, already walking towards the older female.  
“Sorry. I was actually talking to Catra.”  
The brunette blinked in surprise, wondering what on earth how she could be a better person to talk to then Adora. She had to admit that her curiosity was peaked, causing her to accept the invitation and kiss her girlfriend goodbye.  
Once the two woman had reached a hallway in the Brightmoon castle that no one ever came through, the part-feline finally got the courage to talk and asked, “so, why did you want to speak to me?”  
“I want you to talk to Spinny. I think you could really help her.”  
“I don’t see how that’s possible, considering we’ve barely interacted ever. And aren’t you her wife or something? Why do you think I can offer more support than you?”  
“Because I’ve never been chipped.”  
“Oh,” Catra said, instinctively brushing the back of her neck.  
“You may have noticed she wasn’t at the meeting today. She’s been pretty against doing stuff concerning the Rebellion for a while now. At the beginning, the high of winning the war and the relief of being back to her old self seemed to allow her to push away the doubts she had.”  
“But now?”  
“Now that it’s been a few months and the dust is starting to settle, I think that’s making her reflect on all the things she did under Horde Prime’s control.”  
“That wasn’t her fault.”  
“And I remind her of that everyday. But all she says is ‘you wouldn’t understand.’ And she’s right! I’ve never been chipped or had my body controlled in such a twisted way. I can be there for her, but I could never relate to her on that kind of level. Maybe you can.  
“I’m not asking you to perform a miracle, or to do something that potentially might bring up painful memories for you. If you say no, I’ll never bring up this topic again, no questions asked. But she’s the love of my life, so I had to at least ask.”  
The former Horde leader considered everything the princess just said. The time she had spent under Prime’s control was something she didn’t like to talk about. Like, at all. She usually would’ve refused the favor on the spot.  
But what stopped her from doing that was when her thoughts kept coming back to Adora. What would she have done in Netossa’s situation, seeing the woman she loved drown in unnecessary guilt? Wouldn’t she do anything to help the blonde feel better, even if it meant putting herself at the mercy of others? And wouldn’t she want them to help in any way they could?  
“Okay. I’ll give it a try.”  
————————————————————  
Catra found Spinnerella sitting on the front porch of her home, lost in thought, just like Netossa had said she would be.  
“Hey, Windy.”  
The princess eyes snapped to the other’s, suddenly taken out of her trance. “That’s not my name.”  
“Yeah I know, but nicknames are how I show affection,” the brunette explained as she sat on one of the deck’s rocking chairs.  
“Let me guess. Netossa asked you to talk to me about letting go of the guilt I have for all the bad stuff I did while I was chipped.”  
“Well, if anyone were to know about doing bad stuff and guilt, it would be me.”  
“I know you both are just trying to help, but I need to feel this way right now. It’s the only way I could move past what I did.”  
“What Prime did. He was controlling you the whole time, forcing you to attack the princesses and the rest of Etheria. It’s not like you had a choice in the matter.”  
“But it was still me,” the woman with purple hair sobbed, “my body, my powers hurting people. I was the one who chipped all the others at camp, and I was the one who hurt my darling Netossa.”  
The part-feline listened to the other cry for at least five minutes before she said. “Me and Adora fought while I was under Horde Prime’s control. We did it on his flag ship.”  
Spinnerella lifted her head from her hands in surprise, “I never knew that.”  
“Doesn’t surprise me. Adora was the one who caught everyone up on what happened while we were in space, and I could tell there were some parts that she’d rather act as if they had never happened. But it’s real to me. It’s real to me every time I see my short haircut in the mirror. It’s real every time I hold her in my arms at night and see the scars on her back from where I dug my claws into her.”  
“That’s how I feel it is with Netossa. She’s so willing to move past it all, to pretend it never occurred.”  
“That’s because it’s easier for them to differentiate who we are as people and how we acted while we were chipped. They saw the green eyes and the piece of metal attached to us at our necks. They have the luxury of seeing the differences that we could never see, because we weren’t just witnessing the mind control. We were experiencing it. But understand that what you did during that time was never your fault. You were an unwilling pawn in a seriously messed up game of chess.”  
When the other woman continued to stare at the floor, Catra said, “there’s another reason your feeling guilty, isn’t there?”  
“What did you feel? While you were chipped?”  
“I don’t think I could feel much of anything.”  
“Me too. And what scares me is the fact that I kind of miss that. Sure, I couldn’t feel joy or love, but I also wasn’t feeling insecure or scared either, feelings that the war never let me live without.”  
“I can understand that. For the longest time, it was like I was living off of the pain and rage I had felt throughout my entire life. And then suddenly, I was just some mindless drone, only having to do what I was told, and I had no reservations about doing it. It honestly was kind of freeing in a way.”  
“And you don’t feel guilty for feeling that way?”  
“Not really. Because when I woke up in Adora’s arms after the chip had broken, I realized that the life I could possibly have with her would be infinitely better than one where I simply did what I was told, even if it was going to be a lot harder. That’s how life usually is. The best things in life often come with a heavy price to pay.”  
“So what should I do to remind myself that the price is worth paying?”  
“Remember what you get in return. You and Netossa missed you’re guy’s anniversary, didn’t you?”  
“Yeah, I was already chipped when it happened.”  
“Okay, then make up for the lost celebration. Have a romantic evening or throw a party or go on vacation for entire month if that’s what you want. Just take some time to remind yourself how much you love this life you have and how it’s only going to get better now that the war has ended.”  
“Yeah, that actually sounds like a really good idea. Thanks, Catra.”  
“I’ll always be here if you need to talk, one formerly chipped person to another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	91. Be A Little Unpractical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra looks for an outfit to wear for her wedding.

“I don’t understand why I am here,” Catra said at the bridal shop, her hands on her hips as they waited for their appointment to begin.   
“Because you are getting married,” Glimmer said for the fifteenth time that hour, “and you need to have an outfit for the big day.”  
“Okay, I guess I have to give you that. But why are you here instead of Adora? Last time I checked, I was marrying her.”  
“Because she said that she wants both of you to be surprised by the other’s look on the wedding day. I’m here to make sure that they coordinate but don’t look like they are the exact same thing. And to make sure you actually pick out something.”  
The part-feline silently cursed. Her fiancée and friend knew her all too well. If she had it her way, she would never set foot in a shop of this nature.  
“I just don’t see the point. Why waste a whole day and spend so much money picking out something you’re only going to wear once.”  
“Because it’s the most important day of your life.”  
“How am I going to try on stuff with my tail?”  
“Don’t worry another that. This place is very accommodating to all Etherian’s. The samples are designed so anyone can try them on and they will just be modified to your specifications upon ordering.”  
“Queen Glimmer,” a woman with blue skin and rainbow hair said as she approached the two members of the Alliance. “I have everything ready for the appointment.”  
“Thank you, Iris.”  
When the brunette walked into the showroom, she almost gasped in surprise. She had never seen so many dresses in one room before, having many different shapes and sizes and colors, though she did notice that a considerable amount were in some form of white.  
“Okay,” the sorceress said, putting a hand on a rack that had been placed in the middle of the room. “This is all the suits they have in the store. Certainly not as many as the number of dresses that are available, but I’m sure we’ll find something you love.”  
“Suits?”  
“Well, yeah. You’ve never really liked to wear anything formal but them, so I figured your wedding wouldn’t be any different. That’s okay, right?”  
“Yeah,” Catra said, pushing away the small part of her that was disappointed. “Yeah, I hate dresses. Thank you.”  
————————————————————  
They had been in the shop for more than three hours and it had seemed like Catra had tried on almost every piece on the rack with no success.  
“I like this outfit well enough,”the part-feline said in a black three piece suit.  
Glimmer groaned, “you have said that about every single outfit. This is your wedding! You shouldn’t like the suit ‘well enough.’ It’s supposed to make you feel all tingly inside.”  
“I dont think that’s going to happen. That seems like more of your department, Sparkles.”  
“Whatever. I’m going to use the bathroom.”  
Once the queen left the room, the brunette undressed and put the attire back on it’s hanger. She was about to pick the next wardrobe choice when something else caught her eye.  
It was a white, form fitting dress that had a halter neckline. Though it usually wasn’t her style, the bride-to-be couldn’t help but try it on.  
A few minutes later, a squeal emerged out of nowhere, causing Catra to almost jump out of her skin.  
“Sparkles! You almost scared me half to death!”  
“I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t help it. You look so beautiful.”  
“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not getting it.”  
The sorceress frowned. “Why not? Is it not your style.”  
“That, and it’s a dress.”  
“So? If you don’t like it you don’t like it, but don’t get it just because it’s a dress.”  
“Dresses make you vulnerable in a fight. They restrict your movement.”  
“Were you planning to do battle on your wedding day?”  
“Well, no, but anything could happen.”  
“Anything could happen at any moment. Shouldn’t keep us from living our lives the way we want to.”  
The brunette looked at herself in the mirror. “I’ve never worn a dress before.”  
“Never?”  
“There wasn’t exactly a huge supply of them in the Fright Zone. And it never occurred to me to wear something that wasn’t practical.”  
“But you aren’t in the Fright Zone anymore. You can afford to be selfish and unpractical in your wardrobe choices now.”  
Catra thought about her life now and how much it differed from what it was like in the Horde. She had friends and a fiancée she would gladly lay down her life for. She had learned how to be kind and compassionate. She was also starting to learn how to live in the moment and simply have fun.  
Maybe Glimmer was right. Maybe it was okay to be a little unpractical.  
“I don’t think this is the dress for me,” she started, “but I’d like to look at the others.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based this loosely on Noelle’s experience with finding a wedding outfit, how she had said she would wear a suit but then realized that she wanted to wear a dress and that it was okay to do so, that her wedding day was about what made her the most happy. I’d like to think both Catra and Adora are using this opportunity to be selfish and make this day all about them and what they want. Thanks for reading!


	92. Ring Spin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra find a new use for their engagement rings.  
> Based on the tumblr prompt by @cosmicdoesart:  
> The otp has wedding ring spin offs when they are bored. The persons ring who spins the longest wins.

“Catra, what are you doing?”  
“I’m trying to make my engagement ring spin for at least a minute straight,” she replied to her fiancée as she steadied the piece of jewelry on the table, eyes squinting in concentration.  
“I just gave that ring to you yesterday,” Adora said as she sat across from the brunette, “and you’re already so bored with it that you have to turn it into a game?”  
“I’m not bored with it. I love this ring. I just also happen to love the fact that I can turn it into a fun game.”  
“You’re literally just spinning a metal hoop on the surface of a table. How fun can that really be?”  
“Why don’t you take your ring off and find out,” the part-feline said smugly.  
“I am not taking off my ring for something so silly!”  
“Are you sure it’s not just cause you know I’m gonna kick your butt at spinning it like I do with everything else?”  
The blonde knew what was happening. Her partner was just trying to get her competitive side going so she would accept the challenge.  
The only problem was that it was working really well.  
————————————————————  
Glimmer and Bow were walking the hallways of the castle when they suddenly heard yelling coming from Adora and Catra’s bedroom.  
“Yes! I win again!”  
“This game is rigged! My ring has diamonds on one side, making it uneven in circumference!”  
“Sounds to me like your just making excuses.”  
The master archer raised an eyebrow. “Should we... check on them?”  
“Nope,” the queen said, dragging her husband away from the noise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer has had enough of these two’s relationship shenanigans for a while. Thanks for reading!
> 
> I used online prompts today cause all the prompts I have left that I want to do require a really thorough plot and I just didn’t have the mental capacity for that. Speaking of prompts, this work is really close to hitting 100 chapters! That was always my goal to reach, and I should have enough ideas to get me to that number, but I’m still accepting prompts (especially the silly, fluff ones XD) and will probably still update this work when I have an idea even when I pass that, just not everyday like I’ve been doing. I’ve had this idea for a while about a modern Catradora AU, so I kinda want to dabble into that!


	93. It’s Because You Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora go on a walk a realize they are both still idiots.
> 
> Chosen from this prompt list on tumblr: https://3urnttoast.tumblr.com/tagged/soulmates

“Isn’t this romantic,” Adora commented as she held her girlfriend’s hand in the Whispering Woods.  
“We are literally just walking in the woods. I wouldn’t exactly call this a hot date.”  
“But you have to admit, it is nice to be alone together. No palace guards, no responsibilities-“  
“No Sparkles teleporting into our room whenever she feels like it,” Catra added.  
The blonde smiled. “Exactly.”  
The two kept on walking for another half an hour, stopping occasionally to observe the magical creatures they saw, still fascinated with the new wildlife even though over a year had passed since they first appeared.  
Then out of the blue, it started to rain hard.   
The part-feline immediate jumped, tail bristling and eyes wide in panic.  
The First One grabbed her partner’s shoulders protectively in an attempt to comfort her, then proceed to lead her to under the shade of a large tree for some semblance of shelter, though a lot of the water still seeped through. “Hey, it’s okay. We knew this might happen, that’s why I asked you to pack an umbrella.”  
The brunette blinked. “You did no such thing.”  
“What! That can’t be possible, I’m sure I did.”  
“Adora, I swear you never told me to pack an umbrella. If you had mentioned there was even a slight chance of rain I wouldn’t have come out with you.”  
“Oh... oops.”  
The other woman gave her a glare, which was soon undercut when she sneezed from the cold.  
“Don’t worry, I have an idea,” Adora said as she raised up her arm, summoning the sword of protection in the form of a shield, putting it over their heads.  
Catra moved closer to her girlfriend, burying her head into the crook of the blonde’s neck. She purred, saying “this is not because I like you.”  
“I know. It’s because you love me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read!


	94. A Silly Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora does not like the way she is portrayed in Double Trouble’s play.

“Remind me again why I’m here,” Catra said as she took a handful of popcorn from the bucket in her girlfriend’s lap and shoved it into her mouth.  
“Because we are supporting Double Trouble. And aren’t you curious to see what they’ll do with your character?”  
“Nope.”  
It was only a week ago that the couple received the invite to the opening night of Double Troubles new play, ‘The Girl With a Sword and a Dream.’ It was supposedly a retelling of the adventures Adora took while on her journey to saving the universe, though the brunette was skeptical from the start about how accurate it would be. The mercenary wasn’t there for most of the events and they could be... snarky, to say the least. And yet, here she was, looking at the productions program as a way to pass the time until it began.  
“It seems like the only actors are DT and the Horde Prime’s former clones,” she said as she examined the cast list.  
Before the First One could respond, the lights in the playhouse began to dim, indicating the spectacle was starting.  
“Well,” the part feline said, “here we go.”  
————————————————————  
“That was the worst play I’ve ever seen!”  
“Really? Cause I think it was rather genius.”  
“Are you kidding,” Adora exclaimed, “Double Trouble may have made themselves look exactly like me, but that was were the resemblance stopped. I mean, I didn’t even question Glimmer and Bow when they told me princesses actually weren’t evil! I just said ‘oh, okay,’ and went along with them.”  
Catra raised her eyebrow, “and how exactly does that differ from real life.”  
“And then, when the portal went off- that entire scene was garbage! All that happened was you and me kissed for like five minutes straight.”  
“That was actually my favorite scene.”  
“And the hair poof was way too high!”  
“Adora, relax. It’s just a silly play. Why are you so worked up?”  
The blonde poured and sighed. “I just don’t want people to think I’m stupid.”  
“No one thinks you’re stupid. And if they do, I’ll kick their sorry butts.”  
“You promise?”  
The brunette put an arm around her girlfriend as they started the walk back to the castle. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t realize how hard it would be to put a play into chapter written form, and when I tried it was awful, so yeah, let’s just skip that part lol. Thanks for reading!


	95. A Sweet And Innocent Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Super Pal Trio and the Best Friends Squad team up for a sleepover, which results in swapping stories of Catra acting cute.

“Wait,” Scorpia said, holding up a pincer to Adora as she sat on her sleeping bag, “Catra did what? No way!”  
“I swear it’s true! I was having a nightmare and kicked her in the chest. All of the sudden, I’m waking up to her calling me ‘sweetie.’ At first I had thought I had died and was living in some sort of fantasy afterlife. But nope, it was just my super thoughtful girlfriend making sure I was okay.”  
“That is so adorable,” Bow said, making heart eyes.  
The woman in question groaned. “That happened years ago. Can’t you just let it go!”  
“Nope,” the blonde said triumphantly. “I’m gonna tell that story till the day I die.”  
“So what your saying is that I have to kill you?”  
“Please,” she responded with an eye roll, “if you couldn’t manage to do it in the three years we were actively fighting each other, I doubt you ever could.”  
Scorpia grinned from ear to ear. “I’m so happy that the Best Friend Squad and the Super Pal Trio decided to have a sleepover. This is already so much fun!”  
“You and Bow with your stupid group nicknames.”  
The white haired woman raised an eyebrow in a smug manor. “I’d tread lightly with what you say, Wildcat. After all, Adora’s not the only one who has cute stories about you.”  
The part-feline gasped and put her hand to her heart, as if mortally wounded. “You wouldn’t dare.”  
Her partner’s eyes lit up as she sat upright in her sleeping bag. “Tell me everything!”  
“Scorpia-“  
“After you left, I would sometimes hear Catra in the locker room singing songs about lost love and heartbreak.”  
The First One put a hand to her mouth and turned to the brunette. “You loved me? And was heartbroken when I left?”  
“We are literally a couple!”  
“Yeah, we all knew you loved her” Glimmer chimed in, “but singing breakup songs in the locker room? Dang girl, you had it bad.”  
Entrapta, who had been silent for the majority of the evening, simply observing, decided to provide her own anecdote. “One time Catra chased a laser all around my lab in the Fright Zone. I had it attached to my mask and was using it in the creation of one of my inventions. I was turning my head all around the room looking for a wrench and suddenly she was there, following it on all fours.”  
“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Oh,” Bow said, bouncing with enthusiasm, “Glimmer, what about last week when you said you went to the kitchen and saw her licking a bowl of cake batter clean?”  
“That was priceless,” the queen said while laughing uncontrollably. She then pointed to Catra, “when I came in you looked up at me like you’d just been caught committing a crime or something, but it was hard to take you seriously with batter all over your nose.”  
“Wait,” Adora said, turning to her girlfriend. “That’s what happened to my cake mix? You said the next morning that the kitchen staff must’ve it out!”  
“Look, I had never tried it raw before that day and it was so good, so I had to sneak back and have some more. I may have accidentally had too much, but you were the one who insisted I lick the beater after you were done making it. So technically, it’s your fault.”  
“Classic victim blaming!”  
“Bow, I never thought I’d say this, but please tell me you have a sweet and innocent story about me to tell the group. And tell it quick, before I am murdered by the love of my life.”  
“I have to admit, she did give me really good advice about asking Glimmer to start sharing a room together,” he said then turned to his own girlfriend. “I was so nervous to ask you, I didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on our relationship. But Catra convinced me to go for it and she made it sound like getting to be with the one you love at the end of the day was the greatest thing imaginable. And she was right.”  
“Aw,” the sorceress said, leaning into the master archer.  
“Catra,” Scorpia said, eyes filling with tears, “that’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. And I’m dating Perfuma.”  
“What can I say,” the part-feline said with a smirk as she laid back nonchalantly, “I’m a real charmer. That’s why the ladies love me so much, right babe?”  
The blonde eyes narrowed, almost as if they were swearing revenge. “I can’t believe you ate my cake batter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can lie all you want Catra, but deep down you’re heart is made of mush, and I love you for it. Thanks for reading!


	96. Let’s Do It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermista offers Catra a job.

“So hold on,” Catra said, “you want to give me a job?”  
“Ugh,” Mermista groaned, “I’ve literally explained this to you five times already. Can you not understand me or something.”  
“It’s not that I don’t understand the words, I just don’t understand the why.”  
“Listen, I started tolerating you only because you were with Adora and if that woman has the ability to kick my butt. But you’ve actually been really helpful these past two years in rebuilding Salineas. Updating our supply routes, offering emergency housing, getting rid of the remaining Horde officers stationed here. Plus, it’s really fun to watch you stick it to the stuffy aristocracy who think they deserved to be helped first just because they have money.”  
“Those things were the least I could do for your kingdom. You all wouldn’t have been in such a rough shape if it weren’t for my mistakes.”  
“True, and I still kind of hate you for that. But as awful as what you did was, it was still super impressive that you had climbed your way to the top in such a short time and almost conquered the whole world. Not everyone can do that.”  
“No one should do that,” the brunette said, looking down at the floor.  
“When my kingdom was conquered by the Horde, at first all I wanted to do was sit in the bathtub, eat ice cream, and sulk. But I eventually realized that that wasn’t go to do anything for the people who needed me.”  
“No one needs me.”  
“Yes, they do, Catra. Even if they don’t realize it yet. Just because you used your talents to do bad things in the past doesn’t mean you should stop using them all together. I want you to be in my advisory committee because I think you could use your strategy skills to do something amazing, something that could benefit all of Etheria. And you would only need to be in Salineas one, maybe two days a week, so you wouldn’t be leaving Adora and Brightmoon behind.”  
“I know I wouldn’t be. I just want you to know what the potential fallout could be. Not everyone would be happy at me taking this position.”  
The princess scoffed, “science when have you or I ever cared about what other people think?”  
The part-feline couldn’t argue with that. “Okay,” she agreed, her confidence slowly building up. “Okay, let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As horrible as what Catra did was, I’ve always admired her ability to see the whole picture and do things no one else before her was able to do. I’d like to think that after the war, she is able to use those skills for good purposes, helping places and people. I think Mermista sees that opportunity in her.


	97. Everything In Their Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra pick out a cake for the wedding.

Adora put a hand to her mouth as she looked at all the sample cakes that were placed on the dining room table. “This is all for us?”  
“Of course it is,” Glimmer said as she led the couple over to their chairs, “Bow and I want to make sure you two have the perfect wedding. And that starts with the perfect cake, so try as many as you want.”  
“Don’t mind if I do,” Catra said as she spun her fork around and stabbed it into the nearest desert.  
“So,” the master archer started, “have you guys thought about what you want for the wedding.”  
“A little,” the blonde responds, “we want it to be special, but not over the top. I like the idea of getting married near the spot were I defeated Horde Prime. The view is really spectacular. I’m still trying to decide what color I want my outfit to be, though.”  
The queen tilted her head. “You aren’t wearing white?”  
“I guess I could, but I’m a little hesitant about it. White it kind of a major She-ra color,” she explained as she takes her fiancée’s hand and looked at her lovingly, “and this is our day.”  
“Right. Well, I’m sure you’ll look beautiful in whatever you chose. What about you, Catra? Any thoughts on what you’ll wear on the big day.”  
The brunette shrugged as she took another bite full of cake. “You could put me in a giant paper bag for all I care. As long as at the end of the day I’m married to my Adora, I’ll be happy.  
“And this red velvet cake is really good. Here sweetie, you gotta try some.”  
The First One opened her mouth and let her partner feed her. After a moment of taking in the cake’s flavor, she made a sound of pure delight. “You’re right, that is good. You guys, I think this is the one!”  
“Okay,” the sorceress said, writing down their choice, “that was super easy. What about the design of the cake? How do you want it to look?”  
“Well,” Adora said, “I guess we could do something involving the rebellion?”  
“Don’t pick stuff just cause you think it would work,” Bow instructed, “this day is all about the two of you. Go crazy.”  
The blonde’s eyes lit up so brightly with excitement it almost seemed like she was going to transform. “Okay, then I want an us cake!”  
“An us cake?”  
“You know, how in Elberon and at my first birthday party there was a me cake. Well, I want one of me and Catra. An us cake!”  
“Um, sure,” Glimmer said as she wrote down the phrase ‘us cake?’ in her notes, “might have to get a little creative about how we go about that, but it seems doable.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes, really. You guys deserve this day so much. Whatever you two want, you get.”  
The engaged couple put there arms around each other, once again reminded about just how lucky they were to be living with friends who would do everything in their power to make their special day the best it could possibly be.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus:  
> Catra proceeds to eat all of the cake samples, telling Sparkles that “it doesn’t matter that they we’ve already picked out the cake, I don’t want to be wasteful.”  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Also, haha, I still have like, ten prompts I want to write, so this work is gonna keep chugging along for just a little bit longer.


	98. We’ll Find A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra babysits Elysia.

“Okay,” Catra said as she laid on the carpet with Elysia, “explain this all to me one more time.”  
The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, “it’s not that difficult, Auntie Catra. That’s you and Aunt Adora.” She pointed to her drawing for emphasis.”  
“Yeah, I got that. No problem there. But who are all these other characters?”  
“That’s Skeletor. He’s the bad guy you’re trying to defeat. In this picture he’s fighting against you guys and Adam, Aunt Adora’s brother, who has a tiger sidekick named Battle Cat. See? Not that difficult.”  
The part-feline tilted her head. “Why would you give Adora a brother?”  
“I overheard Mama tell Mommy that you two were thinking about starting a family. So I wanted to help you come up with ideas.”  
The brunette smiled and stroked the girl’s red hair. “That’s very sweet, but that wasn’t the kind of family your mama was talking about. You see, we’ve decided we want to have a baby. We want to be a family in the way you, Willow, and your parents are a family.”  
Elysia looked up at her, eyes pleading, and said, “but you’re still gonna come over a play with me, right?”  
“Of course. It might be a little different than how we do things now, but we’ll find a new normal. I’m not going to abandon one of my favorite girls in the whole wide universe.  
“Now, how about while we wait for your moms and sister to get home, you tell me how Adam, Battle Cat, Adora, and I defeat the evil Skeletor.”  
The child quickly returned their attention to her drawing, explaining each piece of the image, often flailing her hands for emphasis. Catra looked at the child with a huge grin on her face, excited for the day she could do things like this with her own child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catra interacting with children gives me life. Thanks for reading!


	99. We Never Could’ve Gotten Here Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora have a bridal party with all their friends and receive a unique gift.

“Heroes on fire,” Catra, Adora, and Glimmer all sang as the music faded out.  
“Well,” the part-feline said while they hopped off the stage at the Enchanted Grotto, “I guess this is my life now. Singing ridiculous pop songs and making a fool out of myself.”  
“Come on Catra, you gotta lighten up,” the queen said, sitting back down at the table with all their closest friends, “it’s your bridal party! If there were ever a time to let lose, now would be it!”  
“You guys really didn’t have to do this,” the blonde insisted. “Everyone here has already done so much for us in the wedding preparations alone.”  
“Nonsense,” Perfuma insisted, putting an arm around her wife, Scorpia. “You two are our best friends. We couldn’t not give you guys a fun night out before you get hitched.”  
“And in the spirit of that,” Bow said as he reached under the table, grabbing a large gift bag and placing in front of the engaged couple, “we all helped in some way to make you guys something extra special for your wedding day.”  
Catra and Adora smiled at the table and reached into the bag, pulling out a very unexpected object.  
The First One looked very puzzled “It’s...”  
“A sword,” the brunette finished.  
The queen of Brightmoon nodded. “I remember you saying that you wanted this day to be about you two, not She-ra centered. But she is an undeniable part of how you two eventually ended up together. So we decided that we would give you guys a sword. Something to pay tribute to her, but it’s still uniquely for your relationship alone.”  
“We thought you guys could use it to cut the cake,” Spinnerella added.  
The weapon was silver all throughout, the hilt designed with beautiful swirls all culmination together into a dark red diamond at the very top. The blade itself had the words ‘you’re my sun at day and my stars at night’ engraved into it.  
“Combining cake and weapons together,” Catra said with a smirk. “My two favorite things.”  
“This is beautiful,” her fiancée said, hugging the object to her body and looking at all her friends. “Thank you all so much for everything you have done for us. Not just in planning this wedding, but in all the stages of our lives. We never could’ve gotten here without you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	100. Get Used To This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melog refuses to get out of Adora and Catra’s bed.

“Catra,” Adora groaned as she tried in vain to push Melog off of the bed, “a little help here?”  
“Nope,” the brunette said, arms folded as she observed the scene. “This is what you get for having Melog sleep in bed with you while I was gone.”  
“You didn’t see her face when I opened the door! It was so pitiful that I couldn’t just not let them in to snuggle. Plus, they reminded me of you and I couldn’t sleep without you next to me.”  
“Really?”  
“Oh yeah,” the blonde said as she gave the creature another push, “turns out your purring is like a sweet lullaby to my ears.”  
“I do not purr!”  
Melog let out a small noise, leading the part-feline to exclaim, “don’t go taking her side in this!”  
The First One smiled proudly as she stoked the beings mane. “See? This is them showing gratitude towards me for taking them in from the cold, cruel world and letting them sleep with me.”  
“Well, then maybe instead of me you can sleep with Melog, since you two are obviously so buddy-buddy.”  
“We could just all sleep together.”  
“Are you serious? Do you see how small that bed is? I don’t mind when it’s just the two of us because it’s actually really nice and romantic. But I’m not adding a gigantic magical animal to the mix.”  
As if to combat that excuse, Melog changed size, shrinking until they were about the size of an average house pet.   
Suddenly, Catra found everyone else in the room staring at her expectantly, silently pleading to her.  
She caved in a matter of seconds, grumbling an agreement to the arrangement as she got into bed and under the covers.  
“Yay,” Adora squealed as she put her arms around her girlfriend and felt the heat Melog’s body was radiating warm her feet.   
As the part-feline listened to the other’s breathes even out in a slow and stead fashion, indicating that they had both fallen asleep, she realized she liked the arrangement rather much. She had missed Adora so much while she was away, and it was nice to know that she hadn’t left her completely alone during that time. Plus, her girlfriend had been right. The purring was nice to fall asleep to.  
Yeah, she could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, chapter one hundred! That’s so crazy to me! Thank you all for sticking with it this far. I hadn’t done a Melog-centered chapter in a while, so I thought I’d whip out one!


	101. When We Do Them Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has to make a cake.

“Please don’t make me do this.”  
“Too late,” Adora said, placing the last of the ingredients on the counter in the Brightmoon kitchen. “You ate all of my cake batter and then proceeded to try to cover it up. So now, you have to make a new one to make up for the one you took as punishment.”  
“But I suck at baking,” Catra said with a pout.   
“That would’ve been a good thing to remind yourself of before you licked the bowl clean in the middle of the night.   
“I gave you everything you’ll need and the recipe is right here. I’m off to go spar with Glimmer.”  
Once her girlfriend had left the room, the brunette resigned herself to completing the task at hand. Though the recipe seemed confusing at first, with it’s countless steps and ingredients and equipment pieces, she eventually fell into a steady rhythm. The part-feline actually found the process of mixing the materials together weirdly satisfying. She liked the idea that she was creating something new and it wasn’t long before her mixture was ready to go into the oven.  
————————————————————  
“I followed the recipe exactly,” Catra said as she presented the cake to her girlfriend. In an attempt to win the blonde over, she had also decorated it with a buttercream frosting, piped with a basic sketch on the First One and the word ‘sorry’ on it.  
“It looks good,” her partner responded indifferently.  
“Yeah, but it was a lot of work to make, even though I did actually end up enjoying it. I now realize how much work you had put into the batter, and I’m sorry I ruined that.”  
Adora sighed, “that wasn’t why I was so upset.”  
“It wasn’t? Then what was?”  
“I was going to make something for you for your birthday. It’s coming up again and I wasn’t sure what to get you. Then I remembered how much you liked the cake I had baked when I was trying baking as a hobby. I figured a dessert would be the perfect present. But when I woke up the next morning and the mix was gone, I found myself back at square one.”  
“You don’t have to do anything for me. I spent most of my life without a birthday.”  
“Which is exactly why I don’t want any more years to pass where you don’t have one. I know you don’t need one, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have one. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to let you know that you deserve one.”  
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s have this cake still be my birthday present.”  
The blonde raised an eyebrow, “even though I forced you to make it?”  
“It’s not your fault I ruined your plans by eating the batter. And I actually liked baking it. Who knows, I might even do it again sometime. Besides, this way it was your idea and my execution. In a way we did this together. And I think we can both agree that things often turn out better when we do them together.”  
The embodiment of She-ra smiled. “Definitely.”  
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s dig in!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	102. Concerned About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra hasn’t returned from her mission yet, leaving Adora to grow more and more worried.

“Adora, you need to calm down,” Glimmer said as she watched her friend pace around the bridge of the ship. “I’m sure Catra is fine.”  
“She was supposed to be back an hour and a half ago.”  
“She probably just lost track of time,” Bow reasoned as he checked on Darla’s diagnostics. “No offense, but Catra doesn’t seem like the type to let a schedule run her life.”  
Suddenly, Entrapta entered the room with a recorder being held by her hair. “Planet Phoebus day one, hour ten. She-ra seems to have succeeded in healing the planet and lifting the magical restraints left by the First Ones. Catra was sent to visit the local populations in an attempt to reach a peace agreement, but it appears she did not return to the ship at the designated time she was supposed to. There are many multiple explanations as to why that could be, but the first that come to mind are capture, death, severe injur-“  
“Entrapta,” the queen of Bright Moon interjected, “could you do your log somewhere else? You’re kind of freaking out Adora.” To prove her point, she motioned her head over to the blonde, who was now frantically running her fingers through her hair in addition to her back and forth pacing.  
The master archer got up and started walking towards the door, motioning for the princess with purple hair to follow. “Why don’t you come with me to the training room? I have some ideas for how we can make the simulations feel more realistic.”  
Once the two were gone, the sorceress forced her friend to stop pacing, reassuringly placing her hands on her shoulders. “I know you’re worried about her, but Catra can take care of herself.”  
“The last time we got separated like this was when I had found the Sword of Protection in the Whispering Woods and I ended up leaving her behind. We didn’t speak to each other for three years. What if something has happened that’ll make history repeat itself? Or worse, what if somethings happened and I’ll never get to see her again at all?”  
“That’s not going to happen. You guys love each other and Catra is a survivor, to the point that it’s extremely annoying. But if it’s bothering you this much, we can always go look for her.”  
“Go look for who,” the part-feline questioned as she entered the bridge. “Oh, for goodness sakes, is Entrapta missing again? How many times do I have to tell you to not let that girl travel through the vents?”  
Adora immediately tackled her girlfriend in relief, shouting, “Catra! You came back!”  
“Of course I came back, dummy. Why, did you think I wouldn’t?”  
“It’s been a couple hours since you were supposed t return,” Glimmer explained. “We thought you’d been kidnapped or something.”  
“Oh, I was,” the brunette answered nonchalantly as her friends dropped their mouths. “Those Phoebians do not take kindly to strangers coming to their village and demanding to speak to their leader. But they’re just as stupid as they are angry. I just had to wait for them to let their guard down before I sliced apart the ropes they tied me up in.”  
“My girlfriend is so clever,” the First One stated, showering her partner with kisses.  
“Ugh, do you two ever give it a rest? I’m gonna go find Bow and Entrapta, let them know we’re all on board and will be taking off soon. While I’m gone, please do whatever it takes to get this nauseating level of affection out of your system.”  
The second the queen was gone, the embodiment of she-ra turned to Catra, cupping her hand against her loved one’s cheek. “I was worried you were gone. That something that had happened and I’d never see you again.”  
“You don’t ever have to worry about me, Adora. Like I’ve told you before, I’m always careful.”  
“Doesn’t matter. I’m always gonna be concerned about you. That’s the price you’re gonna have to pay for loving someone and being loved by someone.”  
The former Horde leader chuckled at that, pulling her girlfriend into her embrace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	103. Just As Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra bakes cookies with a surprising person.

“Oh,” Micah said as he walked into the kitchen to see his daughter’s friend baking. “I’m sorry, I just came in for an afternoon snack. Didn’t realize anybody would be in here.”  
“No worries,” Catra said as she moved her rolling pin up and down. “I was just making cookies for Glimmer and Bow’s baby shower tomorrow. Figured I’d work now, before the kitchen staff starts making dinner and I get in their way.”  
“Smart.”  
After a few moments of awkward silence, the brunette added, “would you... like to join me?”  
“Sure. I mean, if you don’t mind.”  
“Not at all. Here,” she said taking out a second pin, “you can use this to make roll out the dough, and then when it’s flattened out, just press the cutter in.”  
“Seems easy enough,” the member of the royal family replied, starting the process.   
He had to admit, he was a little nervous. Out of all of Glimmer’s friends, Catra was the one he spent the least amount of time with. But the girl seemed to have a strong bond with his daughter, and he did want to get to know her better.  
“You don’t really seem like the type to enjoy baking?”  
The part-feline shrugged. “Adora introduced me to it. I don’t do it too often -your daughter and son-in-law would never stop eating sweets if I did- but I do like doing it occasionally.  
“Well, it looks the dough is all rolled out. Shall we start shaping the cookies.”  
“Let’s do it,” he said, looking at all of the cookie cutter options. There were four shapes to choose from- a bottle, a pacifier, a teddy bear, and a stroller. Just seeing the silhouettes of the objects made him tear up a little. “Wow. I can’t believe my baby girl is having a baby of her own.”  
Catra smirked as she grabbed the bear and started to press it into the batter. “How do you feel about that? Ready to become a grandpa?”  
“Definitely. I’m so happy for my daughter and Bow and I can’t wait to meet their bundle of joy. I just wish Angella was here to see it.” Noticing the woman’s face drop, Micah immediately spoke again, trying to rectify his mistake. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot abou-“  
“It’s okay. I’m a different person now, a better one, but that doesn’t erase all the bad things I did in the past. And I can’t expect people to walk on eggshells and act like it does. If I really want to be a good person, I have to own up to what happened.”  
“That’s... that’s very mature, Catra.”  
“Besides, Queen Angella deserves to be talked about. I never met her personally, but from what my friends have told me, she was a pretty special lady.”  
The man smiled. “That she was. She was always so caring and compassionate. Always saw the good in others, even me.”  
“I don’t think that that took a lot of effort of her part, your majesty.”  
“I wouldn’t be so sure. For a long time, Shadow Weaver’s teachings had a negative affect on me. I didn’t know how to trust others, to trust myself. I worried that no matter what I did or how good I was, in the end, everyone would betray me.   
“But Angella, she showed me the goodness in other people. She taught me to have hope again. It was so easy to fall in love with her, and I’m a better man for having known her.”  
The brunette blushed, “that sounds exactly how it was for me and Adora.”  
“Because that’s the beauty of life. People seem to come to our rescue right when we need them to, right when we are ready to accept it.”  
Without even realizing, the two had already gone through all of the batter. Without another word being said, the cookies were loaded up onto their cooking sheets and placed into the oven.  
“Thanks,” Catra let out nervously, “for, uh, helping me.”  
“Thank you for saving my daughter. I don’t think I’ve ever properly expressed my gratitude to you for getting her off that ship.”  
“That was forever ago. It really isn’t necessary.”  
“To me it is. Yes, you’ve made mistakes, but you also saved your friends lives, multiple times from what I’ve heard. You’ve done really good things, Catra. And those deserve to be acknowledged just as much as the bad do.”  
“Thank you. I truly am grateful to call your daughter a friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	104. These Types Of Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer forces everyone else in the Alliance to revisit the strategy board that they had used in the episode, “Roll With It.” Only this time, it’s solely just for fun.

“This game sounds so dumb,” Catra said as she sat down on a cushion nexts to fiancée.  
“Yeah,” Mermista agreed, “and now that the war is over, Bow, you can’t make up some ‘war table battle figures’ excuse. You’re playing with dolls.”  
“You can call it whatever you like,” Glimmer said excitingly, “all that matters is that we get to play. And now we have Scorpia, Catra, Entrapta, and Sea Hawk joining us!”  
“Um,” Netossa interjected, calling attention to her and Spinnerella, “we’re here too.”  
“Oh, right. Sorry guys,” the queen said, embarrassed. “Anyway, everyone gets a turn to share how they would’ve taken the pass. While one person is going, they control the game board and move the characters around. Anyone else is free to call out flaws in their plans.”  
“This sounds like it’s going to take forever,” Adora whined.  
“Which is why each person online gets five minutes maximum for their strategy. So everyone be ready when it’s your turn. I’ll go first, then we will go counterclockwise around the table. Let’s do this!”  
——Things That Go Boom In The Night——  
“Now that I have taken the Moonstone’s full power,” Glimmer said as she approached the wall, her world covered in black and magenta, “my powers of teleportation are unlimited.”   
The sorceress then uses her magic to quickly get close to the turrets, destroy them all, then vanish into thin air. This continues until she reaches the main tower, where she uses her magic to vaporize the whole structure, returning to camp victorious before anyone even had the chance to wake up.  
That is, almost everyone.  
“Sneaking off in the middle of the night, are we,” Catra announces alluringly as she emerges from behind a tent, already done up in her dress and fur coat, purring as she holds a kitten-like creature in her arms.  
————————————————————  
Catra interrupted the story, exclaiming, “woah, hold on a minute! That is how you think I look like? With the earrings and the lipstick and the dress with the slit up the side? And what am I even holding!?”  
“Well, I used to imagine it being your villainous sidekick pet, but now that you’re on our side, I had to make some adjustments. So that’s the kid you and Adora have. I named them Finn.”  
“Aw,” the blonde cooed, “that’s such an adorable name.”  
“That is so not the point...although, yes, I will admit that Finn is an objectively good name,” the brunette added in a huff.  
“Also, can we point out the fact that you literally capture the entire pass on your own,” Bow commented, “which would be literally impossible. There’s no way you could take out all of the defenses simultaneously with just you.”  
“Oh yeah, and what’s your great strategy?”  
“I’m glad you asked.”  
————The Drawbacks Of Archery————  
In this world, everyone has again returned to their goofy outfits, Perfuma still excited about the fact that they get hats.  
“Why do you guys keep putting me in dresses,” the part-feline shouts.  
“You also make a lot of cat puns in this version,” the inventor adds.  
“This is probably the worst thing mew have ever come up with.”  
“Melog will make us all invisible and leads us to the outside base of the tower. We become visible and immediately attack all of the guards that swarm us.”  
Bow draws his water arrow and fires it in the direction of a Horde soldier, but it accidentally hits Catra. Freaking out, the girl jumps away from the liquid, clinging to Bow and messing up his balance, causing them both to go over the side, falling to their deaths before anyone even notices.  
————————————————————  
Bow shoots up from his chair and wails. “I thought I wasn’t going to die this time!”  
“I’d obviously try to get away from the water. You have no one but yourself to blame.”  
“You do realize you just made yourself die too, right,” Mermista pointed out.  
Catra shrugged, “if that’s what it takes to get away from the water.”  
The game continues on in a much similar fashion for a while. Perfuma is up next with her plant Gollum. Then it’s Scorpia with her spy techniques and Frosta doing a follow up of her character, Winter’s Bane (with Glimmer still insisting that she is not a sidekick). Mermista obviously had her alter ego, Sea-ra, save the day, and Sea Hawk ensured that his plan was filled with ideas that would never work and a lot of ships being set on fire. Spinnerella and a Netossa’s turns ended up being a playful argument about which of the two could take out more of the enemies defenses, and Entrapta just ended up using her five minutes to ramble about tech.  
“Okay Catra,” Glimmer said, “it’s your turn.”  
The brunette looked at the board with disinterest. “Do I have to?”  
“Yep.”  
“Ugh, fine.”  
—————A Romantic Afternoon—————  
Adora wrapped her arms around Catra in their tent. “You sure we shouldn’t be helping the others?”   
“Nah,” the part-feline said, popping a grape in her mouth. “I think we are just fine right where we are.”  
————————————————————  
Glimmer groaned, rubbing her temples. “That doesn’t count as your turn. That lasted all of five seconds and had nothing to do with battle strategy.”  
“Well, it would’ve been longer if you had let me get to the part where we feed each other strawberries and give each other massages.   
“I’m done with battle strategy. I spent my whole life doing crap like that. I’ll sit here and listen to all of your nonsensical, fantasy-based ideas, but don’t expect me to play along.”  
Wanting to prevent any arguments from rising up, Adora said, “well, then I guess it’s my turn. Catra helped set up the Horde’s current protocols, so obviously she’d lead the mission, and would be fighting alongside me. Scorpia would use her electrical powers to overwhelm the power grid and shut it down, while Perfuma and Frosta disable all tanks. Glimmer teleports Bow and Entrapta to different locations to surge-kill any bots. Mermista and Sea Hawk guard the canal so there are no chances of reinforcements arriving. And finally, Spinnerella and Netossa take out whatever guards they come in contact with.”  
The blonde sat the last piece down on the game board, out of breathe due to the quick speed of her summary to ensure she didn’t run out of time. When she looked up at the others, proud of her strategy, she was just met with blank stares.  
“Sweetie,” Catra said as she placed a hand on Adora’s, “I love you, but that was so boring.”  
“What! No it wasn’t. It was a very well thought out plan!”  
“But where was the creativity,” Sea Hawk pointed out. “Where was the cool characters and daring adventures?”  
“Maybe next time add a plant monster,” Perfuma suggested with a sympathetic smile.  
Adora huffed, folding her arms. “This is exactly why we shouldn’t be playing these types of games.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was hard to write, and I kept doing it in little spurts here and there due to writer’s block concerning it, but at least I was finally able to check it off my list. Thanks for reading.


	105. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra gets a taste of her own medicine.

Catra had to assume that this was revenge. That this was Adora’s form of payback for all the times she had intimidated her, all the times she had wanted the blonde to know that the she was in fact control.  
When they were younger, Catra saying the famous words, “Hey Adora,” was meant to be a special greeting, a phrase that emphasized how she felt about her friend without having to vocalize it.   
Then, after the girl had left the Fright Zone to become She-ra, the brunette had added more bite to those words, used them as a cruel taunt to demonstrate that it didn’t matter what Adora did or where she went, Catra was always going to be there to mess with her and ruin her perfect little happy ending.  
And finally, once they had become a couple, the words were filled with desire and love. It wasn’t uncommon for the part-feline to repeat the message after she pinned the other in a sparing match, or walk past her in the hallway, or after a rather intense kissing session.  
Catra liked that she was able to make her partner stutter and drool by simply saying two words. Sure, the First One had turned the tables on her a few times throughout their lives, turning a simple greeting into something with heavy significance. But those were far and few between, and it very rarely had a huge effect on the former Horde leader.  
That was, until today.  
The Alliance was visiting Scorpia’s kingdom for the third time this month, this trip being about disabling the Horde’s weapons so they could never be used again.   
The part-feline was trying really hard to assist Entrapta in her work by making sure she had the proper tools for the task she was currently working on. But when She-ra was single-handedly lifting tanks, her muscles rippling throughout her whole body as she did so- well, that made it very difficult to do anything other than stare at the warrior princess.  
Glimmer scooted next to her friend, eyebrows raised, and mockingly said, “you like what you see?”  
Catra’s tail spiked up as she yelped in surprise. “Geez Sparkles, how a little warning next time?”  
“It seems to me like a warning wouldn’t have mattered, given your current distraction.”  
“You’re being ridiculous. I’m not distracted in any way, just admiring the view.”  
“That’s one way to put it,” she said smugly as she walked away.  
“Shut up!”  
“I think that’s the last of the tanks,” Adora called over to Scorpia, “I’m going to go take a break and get some water, if that’s alright with you.”  
“Go right ahead,” the princess replied.  
The blonde then proceeded to walk over to her girlfriend and grab the water canteen that was sitting beside her.  
“I’m honestly surprised you willingly took a break,” the brunette commented.  
The woman just shrugged as she took another swig of her drink. “I’m just following Perfuma’s advice. I can’t help others if I don’t take care of myself.”  
“Well, you’ve certainly been helping out today. I didn’t realize She-ra was that strong.”  
The princess of power smirked. “Catra, have you been watching me lift things all day?”  
The female’s cheeks turned bright red. “Of course not!”   
Adora gave her a look to indicate that she didn’t buy that for a second.  
“Okay, so maybe I was watching a little. But it’s not my fault you’re so muscular and hot! It’s kind of impossible not to look!”  
The blonde pretended to be indifferent towards that statement and walked away from the brunette. Then, she suddenly turned around and playfully pushed Catra up agains the nearest wall, using her arms to trap the other girl her embrace.   
“Hey, Catra,” she said sultrily, before stepping back and leaving for real, returning to work.  
The part-feline found that it was hard to breathe for the next few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on, we all saw how Catra looked at Adora the first time she saw her new transformation. This was fun to write, thanks for reading!


	106. I Don’t Think Anything Else In The World Could Make Me This Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora gets drunk and accidentally spills a secret.

Adora looked all around the Brightmoon hallways and turned to her wife. “Have you seen Glimmer at all today?”  
“No, but it’s still early. Maybe she just took the morning off.”  
The blonde raised one of her eyebrows. “Glimmer never takes the morning off. I think we should go look for her, make sure she’s okay.”  
Catra nodded. “Let’s start with her room.”  
When the couple reached the room, they headed straight for the door and knocked loudly, ignoring the guards placed on either side of it.  
The queen opened the door only slightly, looking at her friends with a forced smile plastered on her face. “Hey guys! Did you need something?”  
“Um, no. We just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay. It’s not like you to stay in your room this late in the morning.”  
“Yeah Sparkles. Usually by this time of day you’ve already attended at least five meetings.”  
“Oh, I’m fine! I just decided to stay in for the morning and catch up on some paperwork. Bow’s going to all the meetings, and we’ll start preparing for the Princess Alliance Dinner after lunch. Everything is under cont-“   
Suddenly, the woman grabbed her abdomen with one hand and her mouth with the other. She then was gone in a flash, but the two females could hear her appear in her bathroom and start to vomit.  
The part-feline winced as they walked in the direction of the sorceress’s location. “That doesn’t sound good.”   
By the time they made their way into the bathroom, Glimmer had stopped throwing up. But she was still clutching the toilet like a lifeline, using it to steady herself.   
“So,” the brunette said, hands on her hips, “would you like to change your answer to the ‘are you okay’ question?”  
The woman sighed. “Look, if I tell you both something, do you promise not to tell anyone else? Not even Bow?”  
The couple looked at each other, suspicious about what could be such a secret that Glimmer didn’t even want her own husband to know. Still, they nodded in agreement to their friend’s request.  
The queen took a breath and blurred, “I’m pregnant.”  
After a few moments, the former Horde leader was the first to speak. “You’re gonna name it after me, right?”  
Adora glared at her partner. “Catra, be serious.”  
“Thank you, Adora. This is a very life changing thing for me and a little compassion would be-”  
“Adora is obviously a much better name for a child.”  
“Is not,” the former Horde leader yelled back, “It’s too precious.”  
“You told I had a beautiful name!”  
“It’s a beautiful name for you, doesn’t mean I want it passed on to the next generation.”  
“Guys,” the sorceress shouted, causing her friends to stop their bickering.  
“Sorry,” the blonde muttered, embarrassed, before her face lit up. “But look on the bright side. You’re gonna have a baby!”  
“And Bow doesn’t know?”   
“I literally just had it confirmed to me last night. I was considering telling him then, but I know he’d just insist I relax and not help with the party tonight. I’ve been working so hard on this for months now, and I love Bow but he is way too protective of me.”  
“I’ll say,” the brunette chimed in. “Remember that time some dust made you sneeze and he insisted on carrying you around for the rest of the day?”  
“Exactly. I can get this dinner out of the way and tell him tomorrow, it’s the perfect plan.”  
“Except for all the vomiting,” the First One pointed out.  
“It usually subsides by lunchtime, that’s why I made sure I wouldn’t be around him this morning. As long as I stay away from certain foods and don’t overexert myself, I should be fine.”  
————————————————————  
Glimmer was, in fact, not fine.  
Whoever had named it morning sickness was a liar, as her body had chosen that today, of all days, her nausea would last throughout the whole day. While she did her best to hide it, her husband was no idiot, and was starting to pick up on the fact that something was off.  
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay up here for the night,” Bow asked as he adjusted her cape. “You’ve been looking pale all day, and you barely ate anything at lunch.”  
“I’m the one who organized this whole event. I can’t exactly just hide out in my room. I’m perfectly fine and ready to see all of our friends again. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together.”  
“Yeah,” he said, smiling and appearing to drop the subject, “it has.”  
The party seemed to be going smoothly. Everyone sat at a long table, chatting with their friends and catching up on how their lives had been going. Occasionally, the Queen’s stomach would rebel against her and fatigue would set in, but so far she had managed to push passed it.  
It was once dinner was over that things started to go wrong. Glimmer had made sure that the palace’s ballroom was all set up for the group, and she had said multiple times over the past few weeks that she was ready to drink and dance the night away. That was, of course, before she found that she couldn’t drink and that any type of rapid movement made her violently ill. But she didn’t want to make Bow suspicious, so when he offered her a drink on his way to speak to Perfuma, she took it.  
“So,” Catra said as she approached her friend, wearing an emerald green suit that matched her wife’s dress, “how’s Mommy doing?”  
The sorceress glared. “You two are the worst people to tell a secret to.”  
“And yet you still told us. So whatever happens, it’s on you, Sparkles.”  
“Don’t pay attention to her, Glimmer,” Adora said as she elbowed her partner in the ribs. “Seriously though, how are you doing?”  
“I’m doing okay. Feeling a little queasy, but I’m trying not to focus on that. I just have to figure out what I’m gonna do with this drink Bow gave me.”  
The brunette plucked the drink from the woman’s hand and gave it to the blonde on her arm. “There, problem solved. Just tell Arrow Bow you finished it and set it down somewhere if he for some reason asks about it.”  
“Okay,” the First One said, staring at her wife, “you are a little to good at this whole ‘lying on the spot’ thing.”  
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see Sea Hawk about to light something on fire, so I’m gonna save us all from that catastrophe.” Just as the part-feline was about to walk away from the two, she turned back to Glimmer and said, “oh, and make sure Adora doesn’t drink too much. She’s already had a few drinks and she doesn’t exactly have the highest tolerance.”  
“You drunkenly sing karaoke one time and no one ever let’s you forget! I can handle my alcohol!”  
————————————————————  
Adora could not handle her alcohol.  
As if to prove Catra wrong, the blonde seemed to always have a drink in her hand. In addition to that, whenever someone handed Glimmer a drink, she would take it off of her hands, despite her friend’s insistence that doing so was really unnecessary.   
When Catra returned an hour later to check in on the two woman, she was greeted by an heavily intoxicated partner.  
“I thought I had told you not to let her drink,” the brunette said as she tried to push the clingy First One off of her.  
“I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”  
“Catra,” the embodiment of She-ra said as she put her laid her head on the other’s shoulder. “You’re really pretty. Will you marry me?”  
“We’re already married.”  
Adora started to cry, “so you’re saying no?”  
The brunette sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, I’m gonna take her up to our room before she has a full on meltdown. The party is basically over anyways.”  
“I’ll go with you guys,” the queen of Brightmoon said, “I think I need to lie down. My stomach is killing me. Just let me tell Bow.”  
It took her a few minutes to find the Master Archer, but when she did, he insisted to come along with her.  
“Catra’s gonna need some help getting Adora to cooperate.”  
He was right, of course. At first, the blonde tried to run away from the other members of the Best Friend Squad, saying that she wanted to stay at the party forever. Eventually, however, she became too floppy to resist her friend’s pulling, and she was dragged all the up the stairs and to the bedroom door.  
“Thanks for the help guys,” the part-feline said. “Let’s just hope that she doesn’t have too bad of a hangover tomorrow.”  
“That would be funny.” Then, the First One’s eye’s lit up. “Glimmer, you and me could be throw up buddies!”   
Seeing where this could lead to, Catra tried to quickly enter the room, but wasn’t quite fast enough.  
Bow raised an eyebrow. “Why would Glimmer be throwing up? She’s not drunk.”  
“Because she’s pregnant, silly!”  
The whole entire group stood still, all eyes turned on the man who’s jaw seemed to have hit the floor.  
Wanting to get out of this awkward moment as quickly as possible, the former Horde leader shuffled over her bedroom door. “So... we’re just gonna call it a night. See you guys later!”  
And then, it was just the two of them, Bow still looking like he’d just seen a ghost.  
“Look,” his wife started to explain, “I was going to tell you tomorrow, I swear. I just wanted to get through tonight without any distractions and I only found out about it yesterday. And in case your wondering, no, I didn’t drink at all and-“  
“You’re pregnant.”  
“...yeah. I am.”  
“You’re gonna be a mom. I’m gonna be a dad.”  
“That’s generally what happens when a couple has a baby.”  
“A baby,” he repeated, a smile starting to grow on his face. “A baby. We’re having a baby!”  
“Is that okay? You’re not mad, are you?”  
“Glimmer, how could I be mad! I mean, I’m a little annoyed that you still continued to work yourself to death with the last minute preparations for a stupid party, but I honestly shouldn’t expect anything else from you.”  
“So, you’re happy?”  
“Happy? Not even close! I’m ecstatic! This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, besides you of course. Are you happy?”  
The queen gingerly placed a hand on her stomach. “Yeah, I am. I’ve spent so much time planning this event and trying to get my symptoms to subside that it hadn’t really sunk in yet. But now that it has, I don’t think anything else in the world could make me this happy.”  
“I hope you realize I’m going to make you cut back on your workload.”  
“Not going to happen.”  
“It’s going to happen. In fact, you shouldn’t even be allowed to walk,” he insisted, scooping her up into bridal style and proceeded to take her back to their room.  
“Bow,” the girl with the multicolored hair shouted, “I can walk on my own! Put me down!”  
“Nope,” her husband replied, “I’m protecting the two most important people in my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some Drunk! Adora. Thanks for reading!


	107. Safe And Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra tries exposure therapy.

Catra stared at the small pool with complete fear, practically shaking.  
“Remember,” Adora said as she sat in the water, “you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”  
“Adora’s right,” Perfuma said. “Exposure therapy should only be used if the person wants to do it and feels they are in a safe environment. Do not feel pressured.”  
“Say the word and it all stops,” Netossa added.  
The brunette couldn’t believe how she had ended up in Mystacor, at the steam grotto, about to face her biggest phobia.  
It had all started with a series of attempt to get back at Netossa for spraying her with water. She had tried everything- capturing her in a net, purposefully feeding her bad food, surprising her out of nowhere- you name it, she had tried it. But the woman didn’t budge. If anything, she simply got annoyed by the former Horde leader’s attempts to scare her. It all culminated in the part-feline eventually confiding the reason why the water had made her so upset, telling the blue-haired woman about what hadhappened on Prime’s flag ship. How she had practically drowned in the green liquid she had been forced into.   
From that moment on, the two females became quite close, Netossa never using the knowledge she had against Catra in any way. They went to each other for guidance and comfort, and they grew to be close friends.  
Then, one day the older woman suggested that the other try exposure therapy to help her cope with her fear of water. Tired of letting Horde Prime control her life, the brunette said she would give it a shot.  
Now she was wondering if she had made a huge mistake by agreeing to this.   
“It’s not that I don’t want to do it,” she explained, “I just can’t shake all the voices in my head that say I shouldn’t. That something awful will happen if I do.”  
The size and shape of the pool felt too similar to the one she had been placed into during her stay with the universal dictator.   
Noticing that her girlfriend was beginning to spiral down a path of bad memories, Adora stood up and placed herself in front of the brunette. “Hey, it’s okay. Just take my hand and focus on me.”  
Trusting the one she loved, Catra took her partner’s hand and took her first tentative step into the water. After she felt comfortable with that, she took another, than another, until she was sitting down on the water.  
Perfuma smiled proudly. “How are you feeling?”  
“Surprisingly good,” she answered, leaning back her head and closing her eyes. “I think the warm temperature is helping differentiate the experience. The other one was super cold.”  
The part-feline stayed like that for a while, listening to the sound of her friends talk and occasionally adding to the conversation, letting her body get used to the feeling of being underwater.  
It really helped to know that she had people she cared about with her, that they wouldn’t let anything happen to her. That they wanted to do this with her, for her.  
It helped to know that she was safe and loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based this off of the theory that Catra doesn’t get a true hatred of water til after the stint on Prime’s ship, that before then she just had a dislike of it. For context, this all happens after Spinnetossa/Catradora game night and before Catra goes to the beach with the BFS and swims in the lake with Adora. Thank you for reading!


	108. Once Again, Crop Tops Save The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra gets a makeover from Bow.

“Why do you insist on wearing crop tops?”  
It was something that Catra had wondered about for a long time, even before she had become a part of the Best Friend Squad. Every time they had interacted, even at Princess Prom, Bow had been wearing a shirt that didn’t fully cover his midriff.  
“I don’t know,” the boy answered, shrugging his shoulders. “I just like the way it feels. I know some people feel exposed showing that much skin, but for me, I feel more like myself. Free and confident. And isn’t that what outfits are supposed to be all about? Making you feel more confident?”  
The brunette scoffed and said, “maybe in the rebellion. But in the Horde, it’s all about picking something that’s your size and has the least amount of blood on it.”  
Suddenly, the master archer was right next to her, eyes big and sad and lips pouting.  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”  
“That’s one of the saddest things I have ever heard,” he explained. “Haven’t you ever worn something just because you liked how you looked in it?”  
“No. I mean, I had the one with black and red that I was wearing during the time I was basically running the Horde, but that was more of an intimidation tactic then making me feel good.”  
“That doesn’t count! Come on,” Bow said as he dragged the part-feline to his room, “we are gonna find you an amazing outfit!”  
————————————————————  
“Um Catra,” Adora said as she ran into her girlfriend later that day. “What are you wearing?”  
The brunette was wearing burgundy leggings with slashes in it, flip flops, and a black, see-through crop top with the word ‘Wildcat’ printed on it in bold, white letters.  
“Bow put this outfit together for me,” she answered casually as she sipped the milkshake in her hand, “why, don’t you like it?”  
The blonde suddenly became flustered, “no! Of course I like it! It, um, it really shows off your body. I’ve just never imagined you wanting to wear something like it.”  
“I didn’t really want to at first, but Arrow Boy insisted. And now that it’s on me, I actually don’t mind it.”   
“Well, I think you look really hot in it,” the First One said as she wrapped her arms around her partner.  
“Yes,” Bow shouted, popping out of no where. “Once again, crop tops save the day!”  
“Bow! A little privacy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just imagine Bow and Catra having a really wholesome friendship and I love it. Catra’s design is based off of Noelle’s Best Friend Squad Crop Top drawing on Twitter.  
> Okay, so I was planning to finish this work tomorrow with the wedding, but of course, more ideas just randomly pop into my brain and I really want to do them! So, you guys are getting to at least chapter 113. If anyone has any prompts, feel free to send them, my brain certainly has been. Tomorrow’s chapters will still be wedding-centered though, so be in the lookout for that.


	109. Getting To Know Each Other Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora worries she doesn’t know Catra as well as she should.

“Do you ever worry that we don’t know enough about each other,” Adora asked her girlfriend as they sat outside for lunch, just beyond the edges of the hideout.  
“Um, no. We literally spent our whole lives together. I think we are pretty much golden in the ‘how we’ll do you guys know each other’ department.”  
“I used to think that too,” the blonde said as she stared down at her foods. “But then we split up and three years went by. And you’ve changed. I’ve changed.”  
Catra was starting to get concerned. “Where is all of this coming from?”  
“I’ve just been noticing how close Bow and Glimmer are as a couple. They finish each other’s sentences and know exactly what the other one likes. That used to be us.”  
“That still is us. Three years of separation can’t wipe away all of the history we have together. At the end of the day, we’re still Catra and Adora.”  
“But what if it’s us just thinking that we are when in reality we aren’t. You don’t know everything that had happened to me during that time we were apart, as I’m sure I don’t know everything about you.”  
“Well then,” the brunette said as she took her love’s hand, “let’s let the other person know. Let’s tell each other everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”  
The First One looked up at the other, eyes wide. “You’d really be willing to do that?”  
“I’d do anything for you.”  
The conversation they had that day wasn’t an easy one. It’s never easy to tell the love of your life how your friendships fell apart, or how you lost your sense of identity, or how you missed the other so much it would ache. But, as best as they could, each woman told the other about all that happened to them during their three years apart. Catra described her rise to power in the Horde, the way Shadow Weaver had tricked her, her complicated relationship with Double Trouble. And in return, Adora recounted her time with Light Hope, meeting Madame Razz, journeying to Crimson Waste and dueling Huntara.   
It was hard, but it was also healing. It felt like they were getting to know each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being in a relationship forces you to be vulnerable sometimes (I’m assuming, I’ve never actually been in one lol). I’m glad these two have each other to get them through it all.  
> So, let’s talk about what’s going to happen after this fic is over (if it ever does actually end). I’m going to start a work with one-shots about Finn that’ll I’ll update one a day, but I also want to start an actual story like work, with continuous chapters and everything. I have a couple ideas, including: a modern single mom AU (with Finn), a ex-friends to friends again modern AU, and sort of a continuation of this story, where Catra and Adora have their first kid (not Finn, this would be the OC I came up with before Noelle introduced us to them). I would love to eventually do them all, but for now I think it’s best to stick to one at a time, updating once a week. So...which ones would you guys be interested in reading, or do you have any other ideas of what I should do? Feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks for reading.


	110. Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra spend the night before their wedding apart and the blonde is visited by an old friend in a dream.

“Of all the Etherian traditions we are doing for this wedding, I definitely hate this one the most.”  
“Come on, Catra,” Adora said as they walked down the hallway. “Don’t you think tomorrow will be more meaningful if we haven’t seen each other since the night before?”  
“I think we’re getting married tomorrow. It’s gonna be meaningful even if we sleep in the same bed tonight.”  
“But this’ll be even more special. And I’m the bride so it’s your job to do whatever makes me happiest on my wedding day.”  
“Hey! I’m the bride too! And I want to be with my fiancée the night before my wedding.”  
“Well I don’t. Marriage is about compromise, Catra. The sooner you accept that the better.”  
The brunette sighed. “Fine. You take the bedroom, I’ll sleep in a guest room somewhere.”  
“Great! Come on, Melog, your staying with me tonight.”  
“Hang on a minute,” the woman said, causing the First One to stop in her tracks. “What makes you think you’re sleeping with Melog?”  
“Because they’re who I sleep with when you aren’t there.”  
“But you just said you didn’t want to be with me tonight and she’s imprinted on me. Sounds like that would be breaking the traditions rules. So Melog stays the night with me.”  
“That’s a bunch of nonsense and you know it.”  
“Marriage is about compromise, Adora,” the part-feline parroted back. “The sooner you accept that the better.”  
“You know, you think you’re really hilarious, but you’re not.”  
“I have a shapeshifting magical creature right here who disagrees.”  
The blonde pouted, but eventually agreed that Melog and would spend the night with Catra. And so, she found herself in the bedroom, all alone, slowly drifting off to sleep.  
————————————————————  
When Adora opened her eyes, she was in an entirely different place, some sort of dream world.   
She hadn’t been her in a long time, not for five years, but she still remembers the scenery like it was yesterday.  
She was sitting on the cliff she had visited when she was looking for the Heart of Etheria to activate the Failsafe. Only back then, she was with...  
“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”  
The blonde swiveled her head around to see that Mara had sat down beside her, the two both in regular form.  
As if being able to read her mind, the woman with grey eyes explained to the blonde, “I thought this should be a conversation between just you and me, no She-ra involved.  
“So, I here you’re getting married tomorrow?”  
The girl smiled at the reminder. “Yeah, I am. Took us five years to get here, but Catra and I are ready for that next step.”  
“I admire the relationship between you two. The path you guys chose in being together certainly wasn’t easy, but you fought for each other. You put in the effort. You guys are going to have a great life together, I can feel it.”  
“I just wish you could somehow be there to see it.”  
At that, a sad smile appeared on Mara’s face. “I never got to get married or have kids. By dying so young, I never got the option.”  
Tears streamed down the other’s face. “I know.”  
The older woman quickly took the younger one’s hands in hers, squeezing them tightly as she looked into her blue eyes. “But hey, I don’t regret any of it. When I sacrificed myself, I didn’t do it so you could pick up where I had left off as She-ra. I did it so you could get to have the life I never did. So you could live- have a wife, have kids, have everything you could ever want and more. I’m not here to make you sad on your wedding day. I’m here to to let you know that I want you to look at the future with pure joy and excitement. That is how you make sure my sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”  
The current embodiment of She-ra wrapped her arms around the previous one. “I will, I promise.”  
————————————————————  
Adora woke up the next morning well-rested, ready for the places that today would take her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That scene in the finale with Adora and Mara made me cry so freaking hard. Like, I love these two so much, and I feel that this scene helps drive the point home that Mara never did anything to be a hero, she did it so other people wouldn’t have to give up their lives and dreams. It’s because of her that Catra and Adora get to be together, so I thought I’d be nice to incorporate her into the big day somehow. Thanks for reading! Next chapters the wedding!


	111. Promises (After The War)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora get married!

“Are you excited?”  
Catra rolled her eyes. “I’m getting married today, Sparkles. Of course I’m excited.”  
“I still can’t believe you picked out a dress,” Glimmer said as she finished brushing the bride’s hair, which had now grown to the length of a bob. She then put it up in a small clip. “There. It looks like your all set to go. Unless I can finally convince you to wear shoes?”  
“No, you can not. Shoes are so tight and uncomfortable. This day is all about letting lose and having fun.”  
————————————————————  
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to throw up,” Adora said as she started to dry heave, tightly clutching the back of a chair.  
“Adora,” Bow said in a gentle voice. “It’s gonna be fine. Catra’s going to marry you.”  
The blonde gave him a look that seemed to be a combination of confusion and horror. “Of course she’s gonna marry me. Why wouldn’t she? Why would you say that? Do you know something I don’t?”  
“No! I have not heard anything to suggest she won’t marry you. Nothing at all, I was just trying to make you feel better.”  
“Well, you’re doing a really terrible job at it!”  
“Okay, I’m gonna ignore that. If it’s not that, then what are you so worked up for?”  
The First One sighed as she slumped into her chair. “I just want this day to be perfect for Catra. But if I’m in here, getting ready, how can I be out there, ensuring that everything is going smoothly!?”  
“First, your not a wedding planner. You’re one of the freaking brides. You are not supposed to be out there running around making sure the flowers are the proper height and trivial things like that. And second, you made a step-by-step wedding binder and put Perfuma in charge of decorations. She’s a perfectionist and isn’t going to let anything get ruined.”  
————————————————————  
“You ruined the cake!”  
“It was an accident,” Frosta insisted quickly. “Me and Sea Hawk were playing ice ball and he sort of crashed into it.”  
“Why were you playing ice ball,” Perfuma shrieked. “You two were supposed to be working on the ice sculptures.”  
“We got distracted,” the sailor said non-convincingly. “Maybe no one will notice?”  
“How could no one not notice? Catra doesn’t have a head!”  
Originally, the tall cake had been in the shape of the two brides, standing together and holding hands. That was, until Sea Hawk caused the table to flip over. Not only did it know how grass all over the frosting, but the brunette’s head had come clean off and was know lying in the dirt.  
“Okay,” the princess of Plumeria said, taking in a deep breathe. “You two are going to find the nearest bakery and get them to make or sell you a wedding cake that has something to do with both Catra and Adora. It can have their faces, their symbols, a small figurine with the two of them on it. I don’t care. Just get it back here before the ceremony starts.”  
“Do you really think they’ll be able to do something like that in such a short time,” Frosta questioned.  
“It’s for She-ra’s wedding day. They’ll probably beg to do it.”  
As the unlikely pair ran off, Mermista approached the designated wedding planner. “Why did you put Sea Hawk with ice sculptures anyway?”  
“I thought assigning your boyfriend to the natural element of fire would be a smart idea.”  
“Got it. I’m gonna clean this up,” the water princess said, using her hand to gesture at the ruined dessert. “Do you think Catra and Adora will be mad that we ruined the cake they had spent months choosing the design for?”  
“I think it’ll be fine. It’s not like Catra would kill me on her own wedding day, right?”  
Mermista gave her a look that did not invoke confidence.  
“Right?”  
————————————————————  
“Right,” Catra told herself as she stood up straight at the edge of the flower covered aisle in the same spot where She-ra had defeated Horde Prime. “You got this, Catra. All you have to do is walk down this aisle, say a couple words, kiss the most beautiful woman in the universe, and just like that, your married.”  
Melog, dressed up in a black bow tie, meowed something to the woman.  
“I am not nervous,” the brunette insisted, before she remembered that the creature could read her emotions. “Okay, maybe I’m a little nervous. But I’m also really excited, so I’m gonna chose to focus on that.”  
Suddenly the music started, signaling the part-feline to start moving, knowing that her soon-to-be wife was doing the exact same thing with Swift Wind a hundred feet across from her, ensuring that they would meet in the middle behind a beautiful archway and in front of their friends- their family.  
————————————————————  
Adora’s breathe stopped when she first got a real look at Catra.  
It wasn’t the fact that her hair was up and she was wearing a dress- though that was a huge shocker. It was her smile, the way her eyes lit up as she got closer and closer to the alter.  
The blonde couldn’t believe the outfit her fiancée had picked out. It was an A-line dress with a sheer bodice and a floral cap, and even though it was white and Adora’s was not, they seemed to fit together perfectly. She looked stunning in it, but It was also clear that the part-feline actually loved the dress, and that alone would’ve been brought for the First One.  
Once the couple reached the center, they took each other’s hands and smiled.  
Bow smiled as she looked down at his notes. “Me and my wife, Queen Glimmer, are honored to marry our best friends. We came into their lives about eight years ago, and we have seen their relationship go by many different names.”  
Glimmer continued, “friends, enemies, allies, reunited friends, and finally, partners in their love. Because there has never been any doubt that love was at the root of this connection. And though it had taken a long, long time for them to recognize that, once they did, this pair became unstoppable.”  
“Catra and Adora have prepared their own vows that they will know say as they exchange rings. Adora, you may go first.”  
The woman smiled, taking in the sight of her beloved. “You and I have been through a lot of crazy things together. We’ve done a lot of crazy things together. If you’d have told me eight years ago that us ‘borrowing’ a skiff would’ve ended us up here, getting married in front of all of our closest friends, I would’ve said it was too good to be true. Because that’s how you make me feel. That this life we have is almost too good to be true. And it is like that because we’ve made it that way. You made me the best version of me that I can be and you taught me that I need to go after what I want. Well, Catra, I want you. Through every laugh and tear, every victory and heartache, all I ever wanted was you. It’s always been you.”  
The embodiment of She-ra slipped a gold band onto the other’s finger as she said, “I know we’ve made a lot of promises to each other, promises we couldn’t alway keep. But with this ring, I promise to be your partner through it all. I promise to listen and to care and to never give up on this beautiful life we have built together. And I promise that this is only the beginning of our journey together. One that will be crazy and unpredictable, and I just can’t wait.”  
“Catra,” the master archer said, “it’s your turn.”  
————————————————————  
Adora really did look amazing, with part of her hair braided to look like a crown and sheathe silhouetted dress that was a champagne color. Catra couldn’t help but take one look at the girl and fall in love with her all over again.  
“When you left the Horde,” she started, “I thought hating you would help me move on. After all, if had taken every bit of energy I had to not tell you how I felt growing up. Loving you had always been reality for me and I think at the time I didn’t know how to deal with that. The fact that such a beautiful thing could come from such a terrible place seemed to complicated to be true. So I decided that hating you would be the easiest thing to do. But I was so wrong. Adora, I was so, so wrong. Because loving you has been the easiest thing I have ever done. I don’t even have to try, I don’t even have a choice. You are the one for me and you always will be.”  
The brunette slipped the ring onto her partner’s finger. “And so, with this ring, I promise that I will always stick by you, even when things get hard, because loving you is something that never will. I promise to see you as the person you truly are and to do everything in my power to make this life the best it can possibly be for us.”  
Glimmer, wiping away her tears, stated, “do you two promise to love and care for each other in all things, to put your soulmate above anything else in the universe, and to be together for all time and eternity?”  
“We do,” they answered simultaneously.  
“Then by the power vested in me as Queen of Brightmoon, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your bride!”  
————————————————————  
“I ruined your guy’s wedding,” Perfuma sobbed to the couple at the outdoor reception in the Whispering Woods.  
“You did not ruin our wedding,” Adora insisted.  
“Yeah, tarnished it at the most,” Catra joked. However, once her wife- stars, she loved that word- elbowed her in the ribs, she added. “Adora’s right, Perfuma. At the end of the day, it’s just a cake. And you found a great alternative.”  
It was true. In just a few short hours, Frosta and Sea Hawk had managed to scrounge up an amazing five tier, red velvet cake with varying shades of white and pink frosting made to look like a marble design. And at the top, made completely out of fondant, was a mini Catra and Adora, appearing to spar one another but smiling and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.  
“I actually like this cake better,” Adora commented. “Come to think of it, I probably could’ve let you handle the whole wedding and I’d have been fine with it.”  
The princess of Plumeria looked like she was ready to explode. “So you’re saying I didn’t have to follow that stupid wedding binder? Ugh, you two are impossible,” she yelled, clearly frustrated, as she walked away from the brides.  
Suddenly, the microphone turned on and Scorpia’s voice rang throughout the area, urging everyone to look in her direction.  
“Hello everyone,” the woman with white hair said to the crowd. “I’m Scorpia, one of Catra and Adora’s best friends. I’ve known these two for a long time and they really do bring out the best in each other. So I was truly humbled when they asked me to sing the song that would be used for their first dance together as wives. Wildcat originally wrote this for when she would propose, but they ended up doing something different and proposing at the same time.”  
“But I put her ring on her finger first so technically I win,” the blonde shouted.  
The part-feline whipped her head toward the First One. “Are you kidding me!”  
“Will you two just shut up,” Glimmer yelled from across the room.  
“Um, thank you, Glimmer,” Scorpia said, “though that’s not exactly how I would’ve phrased it. Anyway, I made some modifications to the song, but I hope it has the same amount of meaning and love as it did when Catra first played it for me. If you two would be kind enough to head to the dance floor.”  
The couple held each other close and swayed to the music as the lyrics started.

_This is a letter_   
_To the girl I was before_   
_Things will get better_   
_You'll be safe in a place you matter_

_I know how it feels right now_   
_But you'll make it through somehow_   
_I know you're misunderstood_   
_But do what's right and do what's good_

_I used to dream of you next to me_   
_But now you're really here_   
_And I wonder if this feeling_   
_Is the feeling of coming home_   
_Home_

_The next thing I know_   
_It's after the war_   
_And you're next to me_   
_Hand in my hand_   
_Together we'll stand_   
_Under the stars_

_Oh, how I wish I never doubted you_   
_But we'll fix this together_   
_Hand in my hand_   
_Together we'll stand_   
_Under the stars_

“You wrote this for me,” Adora said, tears in her eyes.  
“See, I told you it would make you cry.”

_This is a letter_   
_To the girl I was before_   
_You'll find that destiny_   
_It's not set in stone, it's yours to own_

_I know how it feels right now_   
_But you'll make it through somehow_   
_Learn to take and not just give_   
_The life you have, it's yours to live_

“I didn’t write that part,” the brunette admitted. “She did a really good job at writing more lyrics.”  
Her bride nodded in agreement, practically beaming at the one she loved. “You make me so happy Catra.”  
“And you make me so happy. More than you could ever know.”

_Promise me you’ll never leave_   
_Promise me you'll try_   
_Promise me a life with you_   
_Together after the war_   
_Oh, together after the war_   
_Oh, together after the war_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I know Frosta is like, twenty at this point, but you can bet she still loves a game of ice ball and is just as chaotic as ever.  
> So I couldn’t find a wedding dress I liked for Adora but this is Catra’s: https://madamebridal.com/andrea-and-leo-a0245.html  
> And the song at the end is “After The War” by reinaeiry  
> I’ve been wanting to do this chapter since the day season 5 came out and I finally got to! Thanks for sticking this thing out with me while I was getting here! Got at least four more chapters planned because a Catradora brain never sleeps.


	112. Anytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow has a present for Catra.

“Tada,” Bow said excitedly as he placed the small figurine into his friend’s hands. “Welcome to the Best Friend Squad!”  
Catra inspected the trinket with confusion. “Why are you giving me a doll?”  
“Its a war table battle figure,” he yelled, “why can’t anyone understand that!”  
“Okay, then why are you giving me a ‘war table battle figure?’”  
“We use these sometimes when we are planning missions, so I make one for each of my friends. We had one of you, but the hair and outfit is super outdated- like, when we first met you outdated. This is a much more accurate version.”  
The part-feline had to admit that the detail work was very well done. Every part of her was captured in the model, from her short hair to her long tail. You could even see the tips of her claws on her fingers.   
“And look,” the master archer said enthusiastically, “I even made one for Melog.”  
The brunette stared at the man. “Why are you doing this?”  
“I told you, we sometimes use these for planning missions. We’re still probably going to be going on a lot of them, since we’re trying to restore magic to the galaxy.”  
“No, I get that part. What I don’t get is why you are making a completely new figurine for me. Everyone here is treating me like I’ve been their best friend for years, when in reality, I wanted to kill you all only a couple of months ago. It’s like you all have completely forgotten.”  
“It’s not that we’ve forgotten. It’s more like we can see that you are truly trying to change and we want to support you every step of the way.”  
“But why? What have I ever done to earn your trust?”  
“I mean, I can’t speak for everyone, but what convinced me to give you a chance was the way you treated Adora. You were there for her when you two were growing up in the Horde, and while you were in space you did everything in your power to protect her. And she did the same for you. It was obvious that you two had feelings for each other.”  
“Really?”  
“Oh yeah. Me and Glimmer had a bet to see who would confess their feelings first.  
“Listen Catra, I know you aren’t perfect and have made a lot of mistakes, but I think you undervalue all the good things that you’ve done. And like it or not, you’re a part of our family now. We’re never going to stop trying to get close to you.”  
The former Horde leader clutched the object in her hand, tears streaming down her face. Family. No one had ever said she was a part of someone’s family. The Horde was all about survival, sticking with your teammates only because there was strength in numbers. But now... now she had a chance of being a part of something bigger than just her, a place where she felt safe and loved, a place where she mattered.  
She wrapped her arms around Bow, whispering, “thank you.”  
The surprise at the display of affection quickly dissipated, and the inventor reciprocated the hug. “Anytime, Catra. Anytime.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So unfortunately, this will be my only update for the day. Today was filled with a lot of self-doubt and panic attacks, and I honestly just don’t have the energy to write another story. I’m sorry if this disappoints anyone and I thank you for reading this chapter.


	113. Razzle Dazzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra meets another one of Adora’s friends.

“What if she doesn’t like me,” Catra said nervously as she walked around the Whispering Woods with her girlfriend.   
“Impossible,” Adora replied. “It’s gonna be okay, Catra. Razz is going to love you. She actually reminds me of you, in a way.”  
“Is that supposed to be a compliment? From what you’ve told me she’s an old woman who can’t remember people’s names and lives alone in the woods, talking to a broom.”  
“That’s not what I mean. Razz helped me so much in becoming She-ra. She helped me with my self-confidence, helped me close the portal, even connected me with Mara so I could learn the truth about the Heart of Etheria. She helped me believe in myself and was there when I need her most,” she explained. Then she turned to her partner, a soft expression on her face. “Just like you.”  
“Mara, dearie,” a voice called out as an elderly woman suddenly jumped out from behind the trees and hugged the blonde tightly.  
“Still Adora in this timeline, Razz,” The First One said with a smile as she returned the hug. “I have someone I want you to meet. You remember me telling you about Catra, right?”  
The brunette opened her mouth to give a polite greeting, but was interrupted by the sensation of a broom being slapped across her face.  
“Bad kitty,” the woman said as she continue to swing the object like a weapon. “Razzle Dazzle!”  
“Wait,” the embodiment of She-at said as she grabbed the broom out of her friend’s hand. “I know the last time we spoke things weren’t all that great between me and her, but Catra’s good now. She actually is the reason the entire universe was saved!”  
The part-feline watched in silent fear as the inhabitant of the Whispering Woods stared her down, almost as if she was deciding if her intentions were honorable.  
Suddenly, the former Horde leader felt herself get pulled down to the lady’s face and be smothered with kisses.  
“Why didn’t you just say so, dearie? It was kind of short notice for you to bring your wife along, but she can come with us to pick berries.”  
Catra swiveled her head to her partner, mouthing the words, ‘wife?’  
“Um,” Adora said, trying to correct the assumption, “we’ve actually only been dating for about a month, so I don’t think we’re gonna be getting married any time soon.”  
“And then later,” Razz said as she handed the couple baskets, completely ignoring the blonde’s words, “we can make a pie!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still only one chapter for today. Thanks for all of the support you have been giving me. I’m not one hundred percent play yet, but I’m getting there. Thanks for reading.


	114. I Was Always Worth Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora tries to deal with some of her unresolved anger.

“I hate her.”  
Adora expects their to be some objection from Perfuma, some lecture about how ‘hate is a strong word’ or ‘those negative vibes aren’t appreciated here.’ But all she gets from the woman sitting across from her is an encouragement to continue.  
It’s been about three months since the incident at the Crystal Castle, and the blonde had been attending therapy sessions twice a week- an idea that was all her own, no one else’s. And while she felt being able to openly communicate and have her walls completely down was truly beneficial for her, she knew that eventually, she would have to deal with the one thing she did not want to deal with at all.  
But it was time. It was time to talk about Shadow Weaver.   
The First One stared down at her hands, trying her best to remain composed as she began. “When she first... when she first died, I was actually kind of sad. Don’t get me wrong, even when I missed her, I was able to recognize that she was terrible person who the world would probably be better off without. Still, it hurts when someone who was in your life for so long suddenly isn’t and never will be again. So, despite all she did, I was mourning her loss.”  
“But now?”  
“Now, now I feel nothing but pure hatred at her memory. My brain keeps going back over my childhood, the childhood I had shared with Catra, and none of it makes sense anymore. When we travel to villages or different planets in space, I see the way good parents and guardians look after their kids. Shadow Weaver never treated us like that. If we made a mistake, we were brutally punished, not assured it was alright and taught how to fix it. If we played instead of trained, we were apparently wasting our time, not acting like how regular kids act. When we were hungry, we were told to suck it up and wait for the next meal shift, not having our needs attended to when they needed to be.  
“Back when I was in the Fright Zone, I excused it all, telling myself that being raised like that made you stronger and it was the only real way to grow up. But now that I have the real family experience to compare it to, I’m ticked at the way all of us kids were treated. And Shadow Weaver played such a huge roll in it.”  
“She definitely wasn’t parent of the year, no.”  
“She wasn’t even a parent. A parent is someone like Micah or Angella, who puts their kids first and throws them birthday parties and holds them in the middle of the night when they’ve had a bad dream and can’t stop crying. She never did anything like that. And I really, really loathe her for it.”  
“Adora,” the princess of Plumeria started, but was quickly interrupted.  
“Did you know I’ve never hated anyone in my life? I mean, even when Catra did all those terrible things and destroyed so many lives, I was upset at her and hated what she had done, but I never hated her as a person. Not for one moment. But, for a while now, especially recently, this anger towards Shadow Weaver is all I can think about. I know it’s a bad feeling to have and hold onto, but I just can’t seem to let it go.”  
“Anger isn’t always something to be associated negatively with. Being mad can sometimes motivate us to say ‘enough is enough,’ and stand up for ourselves. It can also highlight that something in a certain situation is not right, which can foster open communication.”  
“That isn’t exactly an option for me. How can I have open communication with a dead woman?”  
“Can you think of a time when you did tell Shadow Weaver your feelings about how you were raised?”  
The embodiment of She-ra considered this for a moment. “I guess I did tell her some of what I was feeling the first time I went to Mystacor. And again right after we had visited there to get the Failsafe, which led to Catra running away.”  
“What was her reaction?”  
“That I was nothing before she took me in and that she had done what she had to do.”  
“So, you were given emotional abuse and excuses where you were looking for validation?”   
Adora blinked at the sudden realization. “Yeah... yeah I guess I was.”  
Perfuma sighed and looked her friend straight in the face. “Can I be frank with you?”  
“Please.”  
“I don’t think Shadow Weaver was ever going to give you the validation you had craved and needed. That woman was so twisted up inside and had built her life around excuses and self-righteousness. There’s nothing you can really do about that. But what you can do is give yourself that validation.”  
The blonde tilted her head, confused. “Give myself validation?”  
The other woman nodded. “Let yourself know that it didn’t matter why she did what she did. Acknowledge that what happened hurt and every good thing you’ve become was because of you, not her. You won’t be letting her take the credit for your victories. Maybe then you can let some of that anger go.”  
The First One sat in silence for a while, contemplating the idea. Then, she suddenly said, “do I have to do it here?”  
————————————————————  
“Hey, Mara,” Adora said as she touched the previous She-ra’s name on the war memorial places at the edge of the former Fright Zone. “I can’t thank you enough for your sacrifice. It’s because of you I even get to have this life.”  
“Angella, you were the closest thing I had to a mother. I hope you know that wherever you are, we all miss you and not a day goes by that I don’t think of you.”  
“Light Hope, I know that it was hard for you to defy your programming, but you did it in the end! You were more than just a machine and I wish I had gotten to know the real you more.”  
After having gone through all of the people that had mattered most to her that she had lost, the blonde finally was left with only Shadow Weaver’s name remaining.  
“I honestly don’t know exactly what to say. To say our relation was complicated would be an understatement. But there are things things that I need to hear, even if I have to be the one to say them. Because that’s just as valid.  
“The way you treated me, Catra, and all of the other kids under your care, that was not okay. It was cruel and unusual punishment when it comes down to it, and no amount of excuses you’ve tossed my way over the years could justify that. None of us deserved to be treated that way- not just because we were innocent kids, but because we were human beings. No one should ever be physically and mentally put down, or have their mind wiped, or be told they were nothing before they came into your possession. Because that’s a lie. I was always special, I was always worth something. And so was Catra, the one who told me that she loved me and basically saved the universe. Something you thought only I could do. I’m so lucky that she and all my other friends recognize how amazing I am, but that was something you should’ve told me every day of my life.  
“I’m not going to let you use me anymore. I’m going to be proud of the life I built with my friends, my family. And you never would’ve been a part of it, dead or alive. Because I know my worth and it is far more than what you had told me what it was for all those years.”   
The First One let out a ragged breathe, forcing herself to say this next part. “This doesn’t change the fact that a part of me was upset when you died, and that’s okay. I can acknowledge that you are a huge part of my story and it’s definitely going to be different now that you’re officially written out of it. But I’m not afraid or hesitant to do it. I’m going to have a great life, and you made the choice that you didn’t want to be in it a long time ago.”  
With that, Adora got up and walked away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Thank you for all the support you guys have given me. I definitely think that giving myself a little room to breathe was the right decision, and I have no regrets about that. Honestly, this chapter was something I didn’t even know I needed until I was halway through writing it. I love self-confident Adora.


	115. Rest Easy Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad helps Catra get through a thunderstorm.

“Is it just me,” Bow said as he got up from the breakfast table, “or does Catra seem really antsy today?”  
Adora sighed, looking off into the direction her girlfriend had just run off to. “It’s not just you. She always gets like this when a thunderstorm is about to happen, and tonight is supposed to be a really bad one.”  
“Wait,” Glimmer said, “Catra is afraid of thunderstorms? Like, ‘I’m going to kill you and all of your friends just so I can hide my true feelings for you’ Catra?”  
“This is serious! Back in the Fright Zone, the constant hum of machinery drowned out any thunder, and most of our training took place in doors, so storms weren’t something any of us were used to on a regular basis. But here, in Brightmoon, everything is usually so quiet and peaceful that it’s really hard to miss them when they happen.”  
“It makes sense,” the master archer stated, “it’s pretty obvious that Catra is not a big fan of sudden loud noises.”  
“I know! And I hate that I can’t do anything to help her. But She-ra’s powers don’t include changing the weather.”  
The queen’s eyes seemed to light up, an idea popping into her brain. “Maybe this is a situation She-ra can’t help us with, but I think the Best Friend Squad can still work a little magic of our own.”  
————————————————————  
Catra opened the door to her bedroom, ready to spend her night hiding under the covers and silently praying for the storm to pass, when she notice that she was not at all alone.   
“Surprise,” Bow said as he placed a final blanket of a make-shift fort.  
“What on Etheria is all this?”  
“We’re having another one of our famous sleepovers, silly,” Glimmer said as she grabbed a bowl of popcorn. “Adora told us you didn’t like the thunder, so we decided to help you get through the night.”  
The part-feline shifted her head to her partner. “You told them about that?”  
The blonde shrugged, looking guilty. “It kind of just came out.”  
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed of,” the master archer assured. “We all have things that scare us. I’m afraid of getting lost and Glimmer hates the dark.”  
“Bow!”  
“But what’s important is that you have friends you can rely on to help you through your fears. That’s why we’re all here tonight- to support you. We have a fort and snacks and I even hooked up my tracker pad to act as a sound machine to block out any of the storms loud noises.”  
“And we’ll be here for anything you need. Even if that means you have to wake us up in the middle of the night.”  
Catra looked around the room, seeing all the things her friends had done for her. The sound machine, the snacks, the small, cozy environment they had created. She couldn’t be more grateful.  
Maybe Adora telling them about her phobia wasn’t such a bad thing after all.  
She went over to join them under the fort with a smile, certain that she could rest easy tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I just love it when friends are there for each other and show no judgment whatsoever.


	116. I’d Do It All Again, In A Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora start off their honeymoon.

“So,” Adora said as she held the love of her life in her arms as they laid in bed together, just starting the beginning of their honeymoon, “you having any regrets yet, wife?”  
“A few,” Catra admitted with a playful smirk. “I wish I had gotten another piece of that cake. It was so good that I was in love at the first bite.”  
The blonde chuckled, “you almost make it sound like you love that cake more than you love me.”  
“Sometimes the truth hurts,” she says nonchalantly, then giggles once she receives a slap on the wrist from her partner.  
“In all honesty, though,” the brunette started, “I don’t have any regrets on my part. Everything we’ve been through, all the stuff we had to endure, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant getting to this moment. What about you? Any regrets on your part?”  
“Not a one. Today was a perfect day.”  
“I should hope so. We basically spent an entire year planning it.”  
“That’s not what I was talking about. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we had a fancy ceremony and reception, surrounded by the people closest to us. But what really made this perfect was the fact that I married the woman of my dreams, and I get to spend forever with her.”  
“Yep,” the part-feline said as she snuggled closer to her bride, drifting off to sleep. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”  
Noticing that Catra was now fast asleep, Adora turned off the lamp next to her. Then, the First One kissed the other on the forehead tenderly, whispering, “I know, and I couldn’t be happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> So, I got some news. The next chapter is the last chapter I have planned, effectively ending the work’s frequently updating status. That means that starting tomorrow, I will have my one-shot collection of Finn, as well as starting a continuation of this work with Catra and Adora starting to try to have kids, as that’s what the majority of people voted for. It’s crazy to think that about two months ago, I started this work, and now it’s coming to an end.


	117. That’d Be Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra ticks a drunk Adora into bed and in the process comes to a realization.

“I hope you do realize that Glimmer will kill you tomorrow morning,” Catra said as she gently placed her drunk wife onto their bed.  
“What,” Adora said, genuinely shocked. “Why would she do that?”  
“Because you just told Bow she’s pregnant when it was supposed to be a secret.”  
“Wait,” the blonde said, gasping as she put her hands on her face, “Glimmer’s pregnant!?”  
“Ugh,” the brunette groaned as she started to remove the other’s shoes from their feet.  
“Catra, do you realize what this means,” the First One yelled excitingly as she sat up and shook the other, “you and me, we’re going to be aunts!”  
“We already are aunts, remember?Scorpia and Perfuma’s kids?”  
“Oh yeah! Catra, we’re already aunts!”  
“That’s right,” the part-feline hummed as she pushed her partner back onto her side and tucked her in, losing all energy to have a conversation with the drunk First One. “Now try to get some sleep, okay?”  
“M’kay,” Adora replied closing her eyes. Then, just before she drifted into unconscious, she said, “I’m really excited for Bow and Glimmer. It’d be nice to have a baby here with us in the castle, y’know?”  
Catra considered that for a moment, imagining a baby coming into the Best Friend Squad’s lives, being sung lullabies to, taking their first steps, growing up in a safe and warm environment, loved every second of it’s life.  
Only in her mind, she wasn’t imagining Bow and Glimmer being that child’s parents.  
“Yeah,” the woman said, looking down at her beautiful wife, “that’d be really nice.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, Catra’s starting to get baby fever! Think of this as a soft introduction to one of my next works, which I hope to release the first chapter of in a week at most.   
> Well, it seems like this is the end of the road for this work, at least in the regards tovregular, daily updates. This was so much fun to write, and it blew up in a way I never even dreamed imaginable. I can’t thank you guys enough, especially the ones who stuck with it the whole way through, cheering me on and giving me advice- I truly couldn’t have gotten this far without you. For the last time, thank you so much for reading and hope to see you guys again with my other projects!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I watched the final season of She-ra today and while I couldn’t ask for a better ending, I also felt really sad and anxious at the fact that it was all over. So, I channeled those feelings into the show’s characters and o gotta say, it did make me feel better. And I figured, why not use this as a way to start a collection of stories, to keep She-ra alive, at least in my heart.


End file.
